The Washington herald., 1917-03-05
PRESIDENTS MANSION
REAL TREASURE TR0YE
Esst Room Of White House Open to
Public-Descriphon of Rooms.

he Presidents house snoulo tower
hove everything else
James Hoban, an IRISH arcnIeet'
rev the plans from which the White
House was built, and he superintended
he erection Of the building and its
estoration after it was burned by the
British in 1914.
Hoban compIsted the plans for the
buiIding July is, T79z. and on that
late his plans were picked in compe-
ifion with those of number of archi-
ects. The cornerstone was laid Oc-
oher Is, 1872. Funds for the original
,onstructIon were raised from the sale
bf lots in the Federal city and from
moneys furnished by Maryland and
Virginia for erection OF public build
ngs.
IL was not until April. 1900. that
Congress made an appropriation OF
hny sort for the building. The amount
hen voted was $4,000, to provide
furniture, so that the President and
Mrs. Adams could move in president
Adams was the first occupant OF the
building, moving there in October,
500. In 1907 Congress appropriated
k1S,0OO for repairs to the building In
late years Congress has been nDeral
IN its appropria tions, conceding the
President everything he asks for.
The partial destruction of the build
ing by the British in 1914 necessitated
large appropriations for restoration.
which Congress made at d1nerent
times The south portion was not
finished until 1892. costing $4,000. The
beautiful East Room was finished and
Furnished in 1928 out of an appropria-
ton of $25.OOO. Three years later the
north pOrtico was put up at an ex-
pense of S25.00o.
Gas Installed in 1s4s.
The first occupants of the White House
got along at night with candles and the
lighting apparatus of the early DAYS
OF the country. Gas was installed in
|hSls and a system of heating and ven
|tiiating in 1853. For the first seventy
.years of the existence of the building
the average yearly cost for furnishing
was $500.
The original building contained ter
races something like those now con-
nected with the building, eXoSt not
$50 Imposing. They are thought TO have
|heen erected during Jefferson's admin
|istratiOn, as Jefferson had his office in
Ia small building near where the orhces
|are now Iujatcd. Congress appropriated
money in Ul9 TO enlarge the office west
|of the PrsLidenrs house The west ter
race ard buldinEs were turned into -
|ereenhouye in the sos, while the east
|vatory Gnd tables. was removed to make
|room fir the extension of the Treasury
Eu'l5inG
The rrai1 building continued to be both
|the ON-es and residence of Presidents
until the fall OF 1902. In the spring
|of that year Congress appropriated s6o,-
|C01 fer the erection of temporary Offices
for the President and $4,000 for remod-
cling snd refurnishins the White House.
Work Done in Four Months.
The contract was let for the work, the
stipulation being that everything must be
done within four months, so that the
family could again occupy the building
and the President the offices. In that
time great Problems were to be worked
out
While the work was going on in the
summer of 1902 President and Mrs. Roose-
Welt were at Oyster Bay. Upon their
return in September they were quartered
temporarily at . Jackson place, Lafayette
square. II was in this building that the
President settled the great anthracite
coal strike. In October Mr.. Roosevelt
moved into the new executive offices at
the extreme west end of the west terrace
nd his family moved into the enlarged
uarters Of the White House. the former
Executive offices there having been
khanged into bedrooms.
The beautiful East Room of the White
House is open to the public The private
barlors are closed except by special ar
rangement. In the basement OF the White
House, where it Is daily seen by hundreds
bf visitors on their way to the East
Room, Is the exhibit OF china and table
ware of the various administrations
from Washington down. This constitutes
one Of the most interesting features Of
the White House The Presidents offices
are not open to visitors except by en-
gagement.
Interior of Building,
description Of the interior of the
White House as it is today. to be COM
plete naturally begins with the base
ment. On the western half Of the ground
floor are located the stewards several
departments. the storerooms for food
stuffs. the large and small kitchens
anterooms for the employees. and the
heating. hot and cold water apparatus,
and the refri%eratOrs On this floor also
is situated a large oval apartment
formerly called the diplomatic Room"
on the south side of the main building
and Immediately under the south portico
This room. never used for this purpose
now. was originally intended for the re-
ception Of diplomatic guests. The reason
for the abandonment of the diplomatic
that the. White House. since it was built
has faced right about" The south side
originally intended as the front, now
contains the back door. This was caused
by the City Of Washington insisting
upon building itself in a northerly anc
westerly direction, the main thorough
fare of the city. Pennsylvania avenue,
passing the White House on its north
side. The large kitchen. where the food
for State or other large dinners is
cooked, is in the northwestern corner
Of the basement floor. and is completely
equipped with modern culinary apparatus
of the most approved pattern. The
smaller kitchen, In which the meals for
the Presidents family when dining
privately are cooked, lies Immediately
west Of the larger kitchen. and 1t also
contains a complete outfit. The stewards 5
office. storerooms and refrigerators are
located in the southwest corner of the
ground floor, and these, as we'll as the
Kitchens, are surrounded by numerous
pantries. The west terrace wing leading
from the ground floor contained the
laundry and ironing rooms, the maids
dining room and separate quarters for
man and woman servants.
Caring for Reception Guests,
The ground floor of the. building proper