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{
    "localId": "354584253",
    "label": "\"The White House\" [Extract from \"Washington City and Capital\"]",
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    "id": "354584253",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "\"The White House\" [Extract from \"Washington City and Capital\"]",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/354584253",
    "collections": [
        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
        "White House Files"
    ],
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "logicalDate": "1937-01-01",
            "year": 1937
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    "seq": 6,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
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    "ocrText": "of the north front is a colonial portico which adds to the impressive-\nand gives the impression of being an enlarged terminus of the west\nness of the main entrance and forms a porch and porte cochère for\ngallery. It is, however, a separate structure, communicating with the\nreceiving visitors.\nWhite House through the corridor beneath the western gallery terrace.\nEvery American school child knows the north facade, with the four\nVisitors' Entrance (East Front). Unless they have come by\nIonic columns of the portico facing Pennsylvania Avenue. On either\ninvitation, visitors enter the White House from the East Executive\nside of the portico unadorned walls are relieved only by the stately,\nAvenue entrance. The entrance is embellished by a fountain and\nsymmetrical rows of windows. This simple architectural embellish-\ncircular pool. Beside the pool an iron gate opens into the porte\nment imparts to the facade, with its regular form and mass, a charac-\ncochère which is the terminus of the east gallery or terrace. A\nter of friendly scale and grace. The larger windows on the main\nglass-enclosed arcade leads under the terrace to the White House\nfloor are alternately crowned with triangular and segmental pedi-\nbasement. Along the arcade are stained-glass reproductions of vari-\nments, with supporting console brackets and bracketed sills. A\nous coats of arms of the Washington family. On the visitor's right\nsimpler treatment subordinates the windows of the second story.\nare ante-rooms used by guests at great formal gatherings. A foyer\nThe architectural treatment of the south facade is more generous,\nnext connects this arcade with the basement corridor of the White\nbecause of the additional basement story with its rusticated stone\nHouse. It opens on the south side to a formal rose garden, on the\nwork, the Ionic pilasters that line the walls between the windows.\nnorth it shows as an entrance to the drive. On its walls begin the\nThe facade, like that on the north, is broken by a columned portico,\nseries of White House paintings which extend through practically\nbut here it is semicircular in shape, forming a gracious transition from\nevery room in the edifice.\nthe gardens directly in front of the building to the broad, soft lawn.\nPaintings in this foyer are: Signing of the Treaty with Spain, by\nThe portico is informally furnished, and makes an outdoor lounging\nTheobald Chartran (showing President William McKinley stand-\nplace with access directly from the Red and Green Rooms on the main\ning) James Madison, by G. P. A. Healy; John Adams, by G. P. A.\nfloor.\nHealy; Andrew Johnson, by E. F. Andrews; Ulysses S. Grant. by\nThe east and west fronts are extended by long, low galleries with\nLe Clair.\nterraced roofs SO constructed that they afford spacious promenades\nThe Lower Floor. The corridor affords access to the four rooms\nat the main floor level. The side facades above the galleries are iden-\nused principally for the display of White House curios and relics.\ntical in treatment, with Palladian windows opening upon the ter-\nThe paintings and sculptures in the corridor are: Mrs. Theodore\nraced roofs, surmounted by arched or lunette windows at the second\nRoosevelt, by Theobald Chartran (gift of the French Republic)\nstory. Flower boxes and tubbed trees give the roof promenades the\nAndrew Jackson, by E. F. Andrews; Benjamin Harrison, by East-\neffect of miniature formal gardens. These are known as the East and\nman Johnson; Mrs. Andrew Jackson (marble bust) Mrs. Ruther-\nWest Terraces.\nford B. Hayes, by Daniel Huntington (gift of the Woman's Chris-\nThe two galleries are cleverly constructed to emphasize the differ-\ntian Temperance Union) Dolly Madison; Mrs. Abraham Van\nence between the northern and southern fronts of the White House.\nBuren (daughter-in-law of the President) by Henry Inman; Martin\nSeen from Pennsylvania Avenue, they scarcely rise above the crest\nVan Buren (marble bust) ; Millard Fillmore, by G. P. A. Healy;\nof the surrounding ground, thus maintaining the rectangular effect\nAndrew Jackson (small reproduction in bronze of the equestrian\nof the north facade; from South Executive Avenue, however, they\nstatue in Lafayette Square) ; Rutherford B. Hayes, by Daniel Hunt-\ngive the impression of low colonnaded wings added to the rectangu-\nington; Mrs. Benjamin Harrison, by Daniel Huntington (gift of the\nlar facade. Taken together, they appear symmetrical; yet the east\nDaughters of the American Revolution) Mrs. Calvin Coolidge, by\ngallery extends 215 feet, and the west only 165 feet, from the White\nHoward Chandler Christy (gift of Pi Beta Phi).\nHouse proper. The Executive Office Building, at the end of the west\nApproaching from the foyer, the first room is a library containing\ngallery and alined with it, somewhat minimizes this discrepancy\nbooks presented to the White House by American book publishers\nin length. Both galleries are 35 feet wide.\nin recent years. Across the corridor is a room holding a display of\nThe Executive Office Building is approximately 140 feet long and\nWhite House china gathered from successive administrations since\n100 feet wide. It conforms in design and color to the White House\nWashington's time.\n6\n144893-37-\n7"
}