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Eisenhower Executive Office Building facts for kids

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Eisenhower Executive Office Building
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building, formerly known as the Old Executive Office Building, is a U.S. government building situated just west of the White House in the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C.

The building was commissioned by President Ulysses S. Grant. It was built between 1871 and 1888, on the site of the original 1800 War/State/Navy Building and the White House stables. It is built in the French Second Empire style which caused a lot of criticism at the time. It did not fit in with other government buildings in the city which were designed in the neoclassical style. Mark Twain said it was "the ugliest building in America." President Harry S. Truman called it "the greatest monstrosity in America." Historian Henry Adams called it Mullett's “architectural infant asylum.”

It is now listed as a National Historic Landmark.

It was for years the world's largest office building, with 566 rooms and about ten acres of floor space. In 1981, work began to restore the building. The main office of the Secretary of the Navy was restored in 1987 and is now used as the ceremonial office of the Vice President of the United States. Many White House employees have their offices in the EEOB.

Images for kids

  • Construction of the State, War, and Navy Department Building (26834522234)

    Construction of the State, War, and Navy Building (undated)

  • State, War, & Navy Building - Washington, D.C.

    The State, War, and Navy Building in 1917

  • Eisenhower Executive Office Building 2021

    The EEOB from the intersection of Pennsylvania Ave and 17th St. NW, pictured in 2021.

  • Navy Department Library Collection, State, War, and Navy Department Building, 1915 (26834521644)

    The Navy Department Library, 1915

  • State, War and Navy Department Building, Washington, D.C., circa 1920 (30689582091)

    An overhead view looking northeast, circa 1920

  • OEOB Penn Avenue

    The Eisenhower Executive Office Building north façade

  • USA-Executive Office Building

    Executive Office Building façade detail

  • Charles Evans Hughes; State, War and Navy building 44421v

    Charles Evans Hughes with the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the background

  • EEOB hallway

    A hallway with decorative elements

  • EEOB skylight

    A skylight above a staircase

  • 17-08-islcanus-RalfR-DSC 4895-Panorama

    A fisheye view of the Façade 2017

  • Eisenhower Executive Office Building Washignton DC

    Detail of the northwest corner

  • Cow-taft

    Pauline Wayne, President Taft's pet cow in front of the building

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Edificio de oficinas ejecutivas Eisenhower para niños

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