East Wing of the White House
Encyclopedia
The East Wing is a part of the White House Complex
. It is a two-story structure on the east side of the White House
Executive Residence
, the home of the President of the United States
. The East Wing also includes the White House theater, the visitor's entrance, and the East Colonnade, a corridor connecting the body of the East Wing to the residence. Social visitors to the White House usually enter in the East Wing.
Visitors touring the White House enter through the wood-paneled lobby
, where portraits of presidents and first ladies hang. They go through the Garden Room and along the East Colonnade, which has a view of the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden
, past the theater to the Visitors Foyer. They enter the residence at the ground floor.
added colonnade
d terraces
to the east and west sides of the White House, but no actual wings. Under Jackson in 1834, running water was piped in from a spring and pumped up into the east terrace in metal tubes. These ran through the walls and protruded into the rooms, controlled by spigots. Initially, the water was for washing items, but soon the first bathing rooms were created, in the ground-level east colonnade. Van Buren had shower baths installed here. The East Terrace was removed in 1866. For many years, a greenhouse occupied the east grounds of the White House.
The first small East Wing was built during the Theodore Roosevelt
renovations, as an entrance for formal and public visitors. This served mainly as an entrance for guests during large social gatherings, when it was necessary to accommodate many cars and carriages—as well as many cloaks and hats. Its primary feature was the long cloak room with spots for coats and hats of the ladies and gentlemen.
The East Wing as it exists today was added to the White House in 1942 primarily to cover the construction of an underground bunker, now the Presidential Emergency Operations Center
(PEOC). Around the same time, Theodore Roosevelt's coatroom became the movie theater. Later, offices for correspondence, calligraphers and the social secretary were placed in the East Wing. Eleanor Roosevelt
employed the first Social Secretary
.
Rosalynn Carter
, in 1977, was the first to place her personal office in the East Wing and to formally call it the "Office of the First Lady". Today, the Social Secretary prepares all of the invitations and written correspondence for every event held at the White House. The East Wing serves as office space for the first lady and her staff, including the White House social secretary, White House Graphics and Calligraphy Office
and correspondence staff.
White House Complex
The White House Complex is the designation of the three principal structures and the adjoining outdoor ceremonial areas, which, along with the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, serve as the seat of the executive branch of United States government...
. It is a two-story structure on the east side of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Executive Residence
Executive Residence
The Executive Residence is the central building of the White House Complex located between the East Wing and West Wing. This central building, first constructed 1792–1800, is home to the President of the United States and the First Family. The Executive Residence primarily occupies three floors:...
, the home of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. The East Wing also includes the White House theater, the visitor's entrance, and the East Colonnade, a corridor connecting the body of the East Wing to the residence. Social visitors to the White House usually enter in the East Wing.
Visitors touring the White House enter through the wood-paneled lobby
Lobby (room)
A lobby is a room in a building which is used for entry from the outside. Sometimes referred to as a foyer or an entrance hall.Many office buildings, hotels and skyscrapers go to great lengths to decorate their lobbies to create the right impression....
, where portraits of presidents and first ladies hang. They go through the Garden Room and along the East Colonnade, which has a view of the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden
Jacqueline Kennedy Garden
The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden is located at the White House south of the East Colonnade. The garden balances the Rose Garden on the west side of the White House Complex.-History:...
, past the theater to the Visitors Foyer. They enter the residence at the ground floor.
History
President JeffersonThomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
added colonnade
Colonnade
In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....
d terraces
Terrace (building)
A terrace is an outdoor, occupiable extension of a building above ground level. Although its physical characteristics may vary to a great degree, a terrace will generally be larger than a balcony and will have an "open-top" facing the sky...
to the east and west sides of the White House, but no actual wings. Under Jackson in 1834, running water was piped in from a spring and pumped up into the east terrace in metal tubes. These ran through the walls and protruded into the rooms, controlled by spigots. Initially, the water was for washing items, but soon the first bathing rooms were created, in the ground-level east colonnade. Van Buren had shower baths installed here. The East Terrace was removed in 1866. For many years, a greenhouse occupied the east grounds of the White House.
The first small East Wing was built during the Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
renovations, as an entrance for formal and public visitors. This served mainly as an entrance for guests during large social gatherings, when it was necessary to accommodate many cars and carriages—as well as many cloaks and hats. Its primary feature was the long cloak room with spots for coats and hats of the ladies and gentlemen.
The East Wing as it exists today was added to the White House in 1942 primarily to cover the construction of an underground bunker, now the Presidential Emergency Operations Center
Presidential Emergency Operations Center
The President's Emergency Operations Center is a structure that lies beneath the East Wing of the White House in the United States. Originally constructed for President Franklin D...
(PEOC). Around the same time, Theodore Roosevelt's coatroom became the movie theater. Later, offices for correspondence, calligraphers and the social secretary were placed in the East Wing. Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
employed the first Social Secretary
White House Social Secretary
The White House Social Secretary is responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of official social events at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States.-Function:...
.
Rosalynn Carter
Rosalynn Carter
Eleanor Rosalynn Carter is the wife of the former President of the United States Jimmy Carter and in that capacity served as the First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981. As First Lady and after, she has been a leading advocate for numerous causes, perhaps most prominently for mental...
, in 1977, was the first to place her personal office in the East Wing and to formally call it the "Office of the First Lady". Today, the Social Secretary prepares all of the invitations and written correspondence for every event held at the White House. The East Wing serves as office space for the first lady and her staff, including the White House social secretary, White House Graphics and Calligraphy Office
Graphics and Calligraphy Office
The Graphics and Calligraphy Office is a unit of the Social Office at the White House, the official residence of the president of the United States...
and correspondence staff.
External links
- The White House Web site
- White House Museum: East Wing, with floorplan and historical images