ARLINGTON, Va. - s4story -- by  Ed Lengel for David Bruce Smith's Grateful American Book Prize

The White House Renovation Begins, 1949

On December 13, 1949 President Harry Truman decided to renovate the White House—and for good reason. In 1948, First Daughter Margaret, had a piece of her baby grand piano slip through the floor and puncture the ceiling of the Family's Dining room; the following year, Bess Truman, was hosting a reception in the Blue Room when a huge chandelier suddenly started to sway, while the president was taking a bath upstairs; later, he wondered—what would he have done if it had landed in the middle of a reception for the Daughters of the American Revolution.

An investigation revealed that the building's ancient superstructure was so unsafe that it needed to be condemned.

That fall, Congress authorized $5.4 million for a complete overhaul of the interior. After the Truman's moved to the nearby Blair House, fences were installed around the White House, and work commenced on December 13; furniture was moved; certain historic objects were extracted for preservation; destroyed, discarded; sold as souvenirs—or in some cases—transferred to various museums. Eventually, the brand-new steel superstructure was put in place, but much of the detail work was not completed until March of 1952—longer than expected—with cost overruns that had risen to $5.7 Million. By then less than a year remained of the Truman presidency. The completion of the project was a cause for celebration—and regret—because even though the "new" White House was more suited for modern times, it had lost some of its historic charm.

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For more information about the White House renovation, the Grateful American Book Prize recommends Robert Klara's The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of America's Most Famous Residence (2024).

History Matters is a feature courtesy of the Grateful American Book Prize. For more book recommendations and information about the annual award visit https://gratefulamericanbookprize.org/.