East Wing Fact Sheet
Source: East Wing Fact Sheet – White House Historical Association
Key Dates in East Wing History
- 1805 – Construction began on two one-story colonnades (east and west) extending from the White House, designed by President Thomas Jefferson and architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe. Intended to connect the White House to the Treasury Building and executive offices, cost and political pressure led to scaled-back plans.
- 1808 – Completion of Jefferson’s colonnades, serving as storage and workspaces for domestic staff, including enslaved workers. The East Colonnade included a smokehouse, privy, servants’ quarters, henhouse, and stables.
- 1866 – President Andrew Johnson ordered the demolition of the original East Colonnade due to dilapidation.
- 1902 – President Theodore Roosevelt commissioned both the East and West Wings. The East Wing served mainly as a reception area for guests and included a driveway with a porte cochère and a coat room called “the hatbox.”
- 1942 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded the East Wing, adding a second story. Initially intended as a White House museum, it instead became office space; an underground bomb shelter was added due to World War II. A coat room was converted into a movie theater.
- 1965 – First Lady Lady Bird Johnson dedicated the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, adjacent to the East Wing, designed by Rachel “Bunny” Mellon to complement the Rose Garden.
- 1977 – First Lady Rosalynn Carter became the first presidential spouse to have an official East Wing office. In 1978, the White House Personnel Authorization Act created the official Office of the First Lady; subsequent first ladies and their staff have worked in the East Wing.
- 2025 – Plans announced for a new White House Ballroom to be built on the site of the current East Wing. Public tours closed in September, demolition began on October 20, and the East Wing and Jacqueline Kennedy Garden were digitally preserved.
Notable Features of the East Wing
- Reception Area: Traditionally welcomed guests attending functions.
- East Colonnade: Provided passage, originally served numerous utilitarian functions.
- Jacqueline Kennedy Garden: Dedicated in 1965, designed to complement the Rose Garden.
- First Lady’s Office: Since 1977, all first ladies have had offices here.
- Movie Theater: Created during the 1942 renovations.
- Bomb Shelter: Built during WWII for emergency use.
Recent & Upcoming Changes (2025)
- The White House announced the construction of a new Ballroom on the East Wing site.
- Comprehensive digital preservation (scanning and photography) of the East Wing and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden was carried out prior to demolition.
- Public tours closed and demolition began in fall 2025.
Further Reading
- The Office of the First Lady: The Evolution of the East Wing Staff
- White House in Bloom
- The Ever Changing White House
- President Truman’s Renovation
- Preservation of the White House
- “A Beautiful Spot Capable of Every Improvement”
Footnotes & Resources
- Seale, William. The President’s House: A History. White House Historical Association, 2008. 1:109-115.
- Seale, Ibid., 1:112.
- Seale, Ibid., 1:419.
- Phillips-Schrock, Patrick. The White House: An Illustrated History. McFarland & Co., 2013. 57-58.
- Phillips-Schrock, Ibid., 67-68; Ryan, William, and Desmond Guiness. The White House: An Architectural History. McGraw-Hill, 1980, 164.
- Pliska, Jonathan. A Garden for the President: A History of the White House Grounds. White House Historical Association, 2016. 98, 106-107.
- Carlin, Diana B., Anita B. McBride, and Nancy Kegan Smith. U.S. First Ladies: Making History and Leaving Legacies. Cognella, 2024, 139.
Rees, Elizabeth. “The Office of the First Lady: The Evolution of the East Wing Staff.” White House History, September 6, 2024. Read Online
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About the White House Historical Association: Established in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s vision, the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization is dedicated to preserving and sharing the Executive Mansion’s history.