Evening star., 1917-03-05


width and with ceilings twenty-five feet
high from which depend massive elec-
troliers. The wall and ceiling decorations
are in white and gold with draperies Of
old gold. This is open to visitors daily
from 10 am. to pm.
Offices Under Separate Roof.
The Presidents offices are west of and
connecting with the Executive Mansion.
and just across the street from the State.
War and Navy departments. They are in
an addition made In 1923 during Presi-
dent Roosevelt's administration, when
elaborate alterations were made to the
entire structure. A beautiful public en-
trance through terrace was constructed
on the east side and the handsome ex-
ecutive offices of the President were built
connecting with the main house by a ter
race on the west side. Persons having
business with the President are received
there between 12 and l pm. on Monday,
Wednesday. Thursday and Saturday.
The White House is Of Virginia free
stone, after plans by James Hoban,
which follow closely those Of the seat
OF the Duke Of Leinster. near Dublin,
Ireland.
The White House was not always the
presentable place it Is today. In John
Adams time there was a turbid little
creek which almost surrounded the
ed water At to drink he had to get 1t
from spring half a mile away. There
were beds of growing vegetables in the
White House grounds. and the streets
surrounding 1t were deep in slush and
mud during large part Of the year
The burning Of the White House by
the British In 1914 furnished the set
ting for one of the most picturesque
stories associated with the historic
structure. Tradition relates that Dolly
Madison. on that occasion. saved the
Stuart painting of Washington. the
greatest OF all portraits of the first
President
Although historians disagree as to
the person who actually did save the
portrait, the story goes that Dolly
Madison. wife of President James Madi-
son. upon learning that a troop Of Brit
lsh soldiers had started toward the
White House with the intention of
sacking 1t. climbed upon a mantel and
cut the Stuart painting of George
Washington from its frame. She car
ried this with her when she hurried
from the White House few minutes
before the arrival of the soldiers, and is
said to have taken it to a farmhouse
on the Tenleytown road, where she
stayed in hiding until after the British
had left the city.
First Lighted by Candles.
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 1S4s, and a system Of heating and
ventilating In 1853. For the first sew
enty years Of the existence of the build
Ing the average yearly cost for furnish
ing was $4,000.
The original building contained ter
races something like those now con-
nected with the building, except not so
imposing. They are thought to have
been erected during Jefferson's admin
istration. as Jefferson had his Office in a
small building near where the executive
offices are now located. Congress ap-
propriated money in 1919 to enlarge
the offices west of the Presidents
houSe. 1t is supposed that the west
terrace and buildings were turned into
a greenhouse in the SOS, while the east
terrace. where were located the con-
servatory and stables. was removed to
make room for the extension to the
Treasury building.
both the offices and residence of Pres
idents until the fall of 1902 In the
spring OF that year Congress appro-
priated $4,000 for the erection of tenn
porary offices for the President and
s475,o00 for remodeling and refurnish-
ing the White House.
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
Completed in 1902.
While the work was going on in the
summer of 1902 President and Mrs
Roosevelt were at Oyster Bay. Upon
their return in September they were
quartered temporarily at No. 20 Jack
son place. Lafayette Square.
In October Mr.. Roosevelt moved into
the new executive offices at the extreme
west end Of the west terrace, and his
family moved into the enlarged quar-
ters of the White House. the former
changed into bedrooms
Until 1902 the sums available have
never been sufficient to accomplish a
thorough reconstruction. Referring to
ldent In a message to Congress said:
Through wise provision of Con-
gress at its last session, the White
House, which had become disfigured by
incongruous additions and changes. has
now been restored to what 1t was
planned to be by Washington. In max
ing the restoration the utmost care
has been exercised to come as near as
possible to the early plans and to sup
plement these plans by a careful study
of such buildings as that of the Uni
versity of Virginia, which was built by
Jefferson. The White House is the
property of the nation. and so far as is
compatible with living therein 1t should
/ be kept as it originally was. for the
same reason that we keep Mount Yer
non as it originally was. The stately
simplicity of its architecture is an ex-
preston of the character in which 1t
was built and Is in accord with the
purposes it was designed to serve. 1t
| is a good thing to preserve such build
| ings as historic monuments. which keep
\ alive our sense of continuity with the