How Trump wanted to rebuild the White House. What you need to know
A court in Washington demanded to stop the construction of a new ballroom in the White House, which was to be built by order of US President Donald Trump. For the sake of the $400 million project, the East Wing with the bunker located under it was demolished. This is the largest attempt to rebuild the White House since the middle of the 20th century, when it was almost destroyed due to disrepair. How the official residence was built and what Trump wants to change in it is in the Izvestia article.
How the White House was built
• The first president of the United States, George Washington, after his inauguration in 1789, initially lived in a private house in New York. The following year, a law was passed prescribing the creation of a new capital and the construction of government offices in it, including the new residence of the head of state, within ten years. The architectural competition was won by James Hoban's design, which was personally chosen by Washington. The new home for the president was to be a mansion with a triangular pediment on four columns.
• Construction began in 1792. The work was mainly carried out by hired Europeans, while slaves from Africa were engaged in the extraction of stone for the house. The building was 51 m long and 26 m wide. It was originally supposed to have three main floors, but due to lack of materials, only two were built. The main material of the walls was sandstone, which required whitewashing due to its porous structure. So the residence was first nicknamed the White House, and in 1901 it became its official name.
18 children were born in the White House. The only child of the president among them was Grover Cleveland's daughter Esther, born in 1893. Most of the other children born were the grandchildren and great-nephews of the heads of state. Also in the White House, seven children were born to slaves who belonged to Jefferson.
In 1800, the second President of the United States, John Adams, was the first to occupy the White House. His successor, Thomas Jefferson, immediately began expanding the building and built colonnades on the sides, which in the future became corridors to the Western and Eastern Wings. In 1814, during the Anglo-American War, the British burned down the White House in retaliation for the destruction of Americans in Canada. The reconstruction lasted three years, and soon after it the southern and northern porticoes were built, which gave the mansion a recognizable look today.
• In 1902, under Theodore Roosevelt, the construction of two wings of the White House began. Zapadnoye was intended to expand government offices and hosted the Oval Office, the official workplace of the president. The eastern one was to be used for the entrance of guests and the office of the first lady, and in 1942 an air raid shelter was set up in it. The central part of the White House began to be used mainly for the residence of the head of state and his family.
How the White House was reconstructed
• After a century and a half, the White House has noticeably worn out. A fire, frequent repairs, wear of wooden structures and errors in the design of the foundation brought the building to a state of disrepair. When Harry Truman moved in in 1945, shaking chandeliers and a shaking floor became a frequent occurrence. Finally, in 1948, the grand piano of the president's daughter fell through the floor on the second floor, after which it became impossible to live in the mansion. The Truman family temporarily moved into a nearby building, and a large-scale reconstruction began in the White House, which lasted until 1952.
• One of the options for updating the White House was its complete demolition and the construction of a new residence. However, in the end, it was decided to preserve the exterior walls and dismantle the interior spaces and structures. The layout of the house has undergone minor changes, but the building has lost many historical details, including the original stucco. The reconstructed White House received two basement floors for technical needs and four residential ones.
The next major restoration of the White House was carried out in 1962 by Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of President John F. Kennedy. She supervised its decoration and furnishing in order to give the residence a more formal and historical appearance. On her instructions, many rooms were redone, with works of art, antique furniture, and even original wallpaper from 1834 from a previously demolished house. Under the Kennedys, the White House was declared a museum, which should preserve its historical appearance.
Nevertheless, each subsequent president continued to make some changes and adjust the residence to his taste. So, Richard Nixon equipped a press conference room where the press secretary's briefings take place, and built a bowling alley, and a sound-proofed saxophone room and a gym were made for Bill Clinton.
How Trump wants to remake the White House
• The current occupant of the White House, Donald Trump, also wanted to contribute to the history of the White House. Back in 2010, being a well-known businessman in the real estate industry, he proposed to President Barack Obama to build a ballroom on the territory of the residence. During his second term in 2025, Trump announced his intention to put these plans into practice. According to his plan, a hall with an area of 2 thousand square meters should appear in the White House, capable of simultaneously hosting 999 guests.
• It was originally planned that a ballroom for official receptions would be built next to the East Wing. However, in October 2025, this part of the White House was completely demolished along with the colonnade. Together with the hall, it is planned to build a new office of the first lady and an underground shelter by 2029. According to Trump, the construction is being carried out with private donations, and the entire project will cost $400 million.
• The very next day after the demolition of the East Wing, the National Trust for the Preservation of Historical Monuments sued to stop construction. According to experts, the new building will overshadow the main volume of the White House and will disproportionately stand out against the background of historical buildings. The demolition was criticized by many politicians who are in opposition to Trump.
• At the end of March, shortly before the start of above-ground construction, the court ruled on the filed claim and decided to stop construction. The decision states that Trump does not have the authority to dispose of federal property, which includes the White House, in this way. The judge pointed out that such issues should be resolved jointly with Congress, and suggested that Trump coordinate the design of the ballroom with lawmakers. Although the president is highly likely to get permission, at the moment the attempt to build a ballroom is turning into a political setback for him.
• At the same time, during his first term, Trump has already made some adjustments to the appearance of the White House. Noticeable changes have been made to the Rose Garden located near the West Wing. It was founded in 1913 and consisted of a rectangular lawn surrounded by flowering plants and fruit-bearing trees. In 2020, the garden was completely redone under the supervision of First Lady Melania Trump. She removed the trees and planted rose bushes in their place, which caused intense criticism. Five years later, Trump ordered the lawn to be tiled and the garden turned into a kind of courtyard surrounded by plants.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
