Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27

reDaired, for II neeQS II.
The recent estimate indi-
eating that the mansion needed new
roof which would cost some S50o,ooO
gave the public some idea of the up
keen cost Of the great building. A
check of figures at the Treasury De
nartment indicates that since the Off
cial residence of the Presidents of the
United States was first built on the
site II now occupies taxpayers have
contributed nearly SO, 900 900 for build
ing. care. repair and refurnishing at
various times.
This sum of eight million does not
take into consideration more than
81 900 900 additional expended at
various times for variety OF pur-
poses. To include the miscellaneous
amounts and the refurnishlngs last
Summer and the repairs now conteni-
plated would bring the total cost of
the Presidents House to date to more
than $4,000, 900.
TT is a fact that nearly every Presi'
dent has had the White House prac-
tically refurnished or has added ma
terially to the furnishings. This was
not because, in the main, the furnish
ings were not adequate. but because
of the wear and tear. Then. too. at
various times the furnishings have
become obsolete In the view of the
various mistresses of the White
House, and this has brought about
MANY alterations in the interior dec
orations and furnishings.
AS decade followed decade, 1t Is not
to be wondered at that vast sums
have been expended upon the White
House. The Nations eyes are con-
stantly fixed upon 1T and here come
thousands of citizens yearly. making
pilgrimages to the seat of the Ma
tional Government. This crowd of
visitors makes it imperative that GER
tain of the rooms be completely re-
furnished and redecorated almost
every year.
The first appropriation made by
Congress for the White House was
included in a general appropriation
of 100000 for the construction or
public buildings at the site of the
| NEW National Capital that was called
the City of Washington and which
site had been selected by the first
President, George Washington. A
part of this sum was to be used for
the construction and furnishing OF an
adequate residence for the Nations
Chief MAGISTRATE. This appropriation
| was not made until some time in
| 1895, although the site for the future
| capital of the country had been Sc
lected as early as 1890.
OF this first sum set aside for the
new White House, 1t was quickly
| demonstrated not to be sufficient for
| the purpose. and it was not many
| months before Congress was asked for
| further sums with which to complete
! the structure as well as to furnish II.
And again the money provided was
| shown to be insufficient. 1t was sew
| eral years before the residence was
| finally furnished. This early White
| House was far from being a preten-
tious affair. It looked like a giant
| box. Nor were the grounds at all
! what they have since come to be, al
| though much money was spent on
| them from year to year.
| An interesting and rare old volume
| kept in the Treasury Department en-.
titled, Statement of the Appropria.
tions and Expenditures from the Ma.
| tional Treasury for Public and Pri-
vate Purposes, from July 16, 1870, to
June 30, 1876" gives repairs for the
grounds for that early period to the
still another item, Improvement OF
grounds" $269,071.2S, making a total
of 1921, O9259. This included the sum
Of $4,420 spent in 1881 for the bring
ing Of Potomac River water to the
grounds for irrigation purposes. This
was considered a very remarkable i'm
provement at that time.
| r \ X 4
I'm 1914 the British visited Wash
ington and burned nearly all the
Government buildings, including the
White House, from which President
Madison had fled only few hours
previous to their arrival. The fire die
not actually destroy the whole man
sion, but left it in such state that l,
was deemed wise to reconstruct II
from cellar to attic. Some of the walls
were found to be in good shape. an6
thus it was rebuilt virtually accord
ing to the original plans. The archi
tect of the first building was in
charge of the rebuilding.
The rebuilding required several
years. In 1920 the commissioners
made q report in which they stated
they had expended s246.40p on tho
= new buildings and thatrit WAS faIsfrom