Pop Quiz #1 (Part 2 of 2)

In yesterday's blog post, we asked what building was depicted in the photo?

  

Answer:  It was the White House in Washington, D.C.  No joke.

The photo depicts the reconstruction the White House in 1950.

During 1948-1952, the original White House interior was demolished and reconstructed.  The exterior--the walls and the roof--remained, while the interior was completely gutted before the entire building collapsed. 

According to WhiteHouseMuseum.org, in 1948, "the main body of the mansion was found to be structurally unsound. Floors no longer merely creaked; they swayed. The president's bathtub was sinking into the floor. A leg of Margaret [Truman]'s piano broke through the floor in what is today the Private Dining Room. Engineers did a thorough examination and found plaster in a corner of the East Room sagging as much as 18 inches. Wooden beams had been weakened by cutting and drilling for plumbing and wiring over 150 years, and the addition of the steel roof and full third floor in 1927 added weight the building could no longer handle. They declared the whole house to be in imminent danger of collapse."

Because the condition of the building was so bad, complete reconstruction of the interior was the best option, short of leveling the entire building.  The builder brought in to oversee the reconstruction was the same builder who worked on other important D.C. buildings, including the Jefferson Memorial and the Pentagon.

"The old interior of the Residence was dismantled, leaving the house as a shell with the two modern wings."  "The mansion was then rebuilt using concrete and steel beams in place of its original wooden joists."

Earth-movers dig a new sub-basement (May 1950)

The reconstruction was costly (nearly $6 million) and lengthy (more than 3 years), but the result was amazing.  The interior was restored to its original glory.    

East Room (August 1952)

Green Room (July 1952)

Blue Room (July 1952)

The reconstructed White House (1953)

The reconstruction led to another important result.  According to J. B. West, Chief Usher of the White House (1957-1969):  "A significant effect the reconstructed house had on the lives of its occupants and on the operations of the presidency was due to air conditioning.  Previously the operations of the White House and West Wing were significantly reduced as people departed the heat and humidity of the capital for more tolerable climes.  Afterwards the White House could operate year-round without regard for summer heat."

Construction workers pose inside a new, very large HVAC duct (July 1951)

Thanks for visiting the reconstructed White House with us.