Expert shares insight into history of White House renovations
U.S. presidents have led significant renovations to the White House over the years, from a swimming pool and basketball court to the addition of the West Wing and an entire third floor. President Donald Trump’s plan for a new White House ballroom is the latest of these projects.
It’s not unusual for a president to renovate or redecorate the White House, said Chad Hankinson, an Americanist and political science lecturer at Virginia Tech.
“Theodore Roosevelt added the West Wing. FDR [Franklin Delano Roosevelt] added the East Wing, primarily to conceal the bunker that is under it. Calvin Coolidge added the third floor, and under Harry S. Truman, a complete gut remodel was commissioned because the White House was deemed structurally unsound,” Hankinson said.
“Redecorating has typically occurred to make much needed updates, reflect the personal style of the president and first lady, or to honor the president’s political views,” he said. “Major projects have been undertaken, usually out of necessity. As the president's staff grew, more office space was essential. As presidents and their families spent more time in the White House, a more functional and comfortable living space was needed. And as times changed, updates were necessary to keep the White House a modern, functional working and living space.”
Still, critics have concerns with the addition of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which requires demolishing the East Wing. The project would cost approximately $250 million.
Trump also has proposed to fund the ballroom costs through private donations, which is not typical of past White House renovations, Hankinson said.
“The problems with the addition of the ballroom are costs, timing, and necessity,” he said. “With inflation still high and rising, and unemployment at 4.3 percent, the American public is concerned about the state of the economy. Also, with an estimated 750,000 employees furloughed during the government shutdown, taking on such a lavish project is bad optics.”
About Hankinson
Chad Hankinson is a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Virginia Tech and an Americanist whose teaching focus is U.S. politics and government from a comparative lens. He is also associate director of administration and strategic planning with the Center for European and Transatlantic Studies.
Schedule an interview
To schedule an interview, contact Margaret Ashburn at mkashburn@vt.edu or 540-529-0814 or Jenny Boone at jennykb@vt.edu, or 540-314-7207.
