Podcast White House Builder James Hoban’s Irish Roots
Over 200 years ago, James Hoban left Ireland for America to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. Selected by President...
Main Content
During the administration of President Harry S. Truman, the White House underwent a renovation and expansion so extensive, it changed the Executive Mansion more than the fire of 1814. The White House we know today is largely due to the renovation led by Truman. The construction took place between 1948 and 1952 and was a remarkable feat of engineering. National Park Service photographer Abbie Rowe captured the entire process on film and the below galleries document the transformation.
The White House is Falling Down
Total Demolition
Amazing Transformation
Over 200 years ago, James Hoban left Ireland for America to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. Selected by President...
Since 1965, the White House Historical Association has been proud to fund the official portraits of our presidents and first ladies,...
James Hoban came from humble beginnings as a young carpenter and architect in Ireland, and went on to collaborate with...
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s advocacy for the arts endures as a vital part of th...
A dinner at the White House has always had significance beyond the gastronomical delights. The elegance of the State Dining...
In 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy resolved to make the White House a “living museum” by restoring the historic integrity of the...
James Hoban's life is a memorable Irish-American success story. In his boyhood he learned the craft of carpenter and wheelwright,...
No recent president has had more impact on the White House than Harry S. Truman, who both modernized the building...
The White House observance of Christmas before the twentieth century was not an official event. First families decorated the house...
In its more than 200 years of history, the White House has seen many physical changes, but its original stone walls...
From the beginning of its construction in 1792, until the 1902 renovation that shaped the modern identity and functions of the interior...
Two grand houses were under construction in the young Federal City in 1816: one the President’s House, reconstructed after it wa...