State Dining Room of the White House facts for kids
The State Dining Room is one of two dining rooms on the main floor of the White House, the home of the president of the United States in Washington, D.C.. It is the larger dining room and is used for important events. These include parties, lunches, and big formal dinners, especially state dinners for leaders from other countries. The room can seat 140 people and is about 48 feet (14.6 meters) long by 36 feet (11 meters) wide.
The room started as office space. It got its name, State Dining Room, during the time of President James Monroe. It was furnished for the first time then. Over the years, it was updated many times. In 1853, gas lights were added. In 1877, new doors were cut into the west wall. A big change happened in 1902 when it became a large, grand dining hall. It had dark oak walls and even stuffed animal heads! This look stayed until the White House was fully rebuilt in 1952.
The 1952 rebuilding kept some of the 1902 style, but many of the old furnishings were removed. The walls were painted a light green color. From 1961 to 1963, the room was changed again to look more like an Empire style room. More small changes were made in the 1970s and 1980s. The room got major updates to its furniture in 1998 and 2015.
Contents
Early Days of the Dining Room
First Presidents and the Room's Use
The northern part of what is now the State Dining Room was once part of a hallway. There were stairs leading to the second and third floors. South of these stairs was a small room. This room was meant to be a Cabinet Room or the President's Library.
President John Adams was the first president to live in the White House. The house was very large and had little furniture. So, the State Dining Room was divided to make it useful. The southwest corner became a "levee room" where people could meet the president. The northwest corner was used as a dining room.
Thomas Jefferson's Office Space
President Thomas Jefferson used the southwest part of the State Dining Room as his main office. This was from 1801 to 1809. The room had little furniture, just a desk and chairs. He even kept his gardening tools and plants there. The floor was covered with a green painted canvas. Over time, he added maps, shelves, tables, stools, and a tall bookcase. He also moved 12 black-and-gold chairs from the dining area into his office.
Becoming the State Dining Room
President James Madison wanted the room to be a proper dining room. His wife, Dolley Madison, worked with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe to make changes. They closed off two windows in the west wall.
A large dining table was placed in the room. It could seat at least 40 people. Simple chairs with rush seats were around it. They used a silver set and a blue-and-gold china set from England. A simple centerpiece called a surtout de table was also used. A big sideboard was the largest piece of furniture. The windows had no curtains, and the walls were covered in wallpaper. Paintings of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson hung on the walls. The Washington painting was a copy of the famous Lansdowne portrait. The canvas floor was removed and a simple carpet was put down.
Rebuilding After the War of 1812
The White House was burned by the British Army in 1814 during the War of 1812. The Washington painting was saved just minutes before the British arrived.
The White House was rebuilt in 1817. After this, the room was officially called the State Dining Room. A large fireplace was added to the west wall.
President James Monroe was in charge of decorating the room. He chose green silk for the walls. Two beautiful Carrara marble fireplaces with Neoclassical figures were also installed.
Monroe bought many fancy gold-colored decorations called ormolu for the room. The surtout de table centerpiece was 14 feet (4.3 meters) long when fully extended. It had a mirrored base and decorations of fruit and flowers. It also had 17 figures holding candleholders. This centerpiece impressed everyone who saw it. Other gold items included pedestals for crystal vases and decorative stands with sphinxes.
Monroe also ordered the White House's first plates and silverware. This included 72 silver place-settings and 36 gold-plated silver settings. A 30-setting gold porcelain china service was also bought. A dessert service with a Napoleonic eagle and scenes of agriculture, strength, trade, science, and arts was also part of the order.
Changes Through the 1800s
Updates in the Early to Mid-1800s
President Andrew Jackson had the dining room wallpapered after 1829. The wallpaper was blue, green, yellow, and white with gold stars. New mirrors, Belgian carpets, and mahogany chairs were also added. An 18-light chandelier, originally from the East Room, was moved here in 1834.
After many visitors during Jackson's time, the White House needed repairs. President Martin Van Buren bought a new 30-foot (9.1 meters) table for the room. The chairs were covered in blue satin. Blue and yellow drapes and rugs matched the chairs. The fireplaces got new black marble mantels, and three chandeliers lit the room.
President James K. Polk redecorated the State Dining Room in 1845. New purple and gold drapes were hung. Forty-two rosewood chairs with purple velvet seats were purchased. A new Turkish carpet was likely installed.
President Franklin Pierce completely updated the room in 1853. The chandeliers were changed to use natural gas. The wood trim was replaced, the room was replastered and repainted, and new carpets and drapes were added. Gilded frames were put on the mirrors. Four walnut side tables were likely made for Pierce and used in the room.
A large greenhouse was built next to the White House in 1857. In 1867, this greenhouse burned down.
Mid to Late 1800s Changes
In 1869, President Ulysses S. Grant built a larger greenhouse. He also rebuilt the main staircase. Later presidents made the greenhouse even bigger. In 1877, President Rutherford B. Hayes turned it into a "palm court." New doors were cut into the White House walls to connect the Palm Court and the State Dining Room.
Smaller changes were made to the furniture in the late 1800s. In 1880, First Lady Lucy Webb Hayes added a new carpet and lace curtains. She also bought two Victorian candelabras from Tiffany & Co.. These beautiful three-tiered items are still in the room today.
In 1882, President Chester A. Arthur hired Louis Comfort Tiffany to redecorate. The work included painting and regilding the Monroe surtout de table. Around 1884, the room was redecorated again with new carpets, curtains, and paint. The walls were yellow-brown with a five-foot (1.5 meters) high stenciled design in gold.
The room got electricity in 1891, with bronze wall lights. By 1901, 40 dining chairs were moved from the Family Dining Room to the State Dining Room.
1902 Roosevelt Renovation
The White House had a big renovation in 1902. This happened after new offices were built in the West Wing, freeing up space in the main house. President Theodore Roosevelt chose the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White for the project. The old main staircase was removed, and the State Dining Room was made larger. It expanded into the space where the stairs used to be. The small fireplaces were removed, and a door to the Palm Court was sealed. A new, huge stone fireplace and mantel, known as the "Buffalo mantel," were added.
The architects wanted the room to look like an English manor house. This style mixed different periods, including early Elizabethan and Italian Renaissance. Herter Brothers designed and installed a new plaster ceiling and decorative trim. The ceiling was white, and the trim was light gray. Below the trim was a carved design with stuffed animal heads, which Roosevelt wanted. Dark English oak panels with columns were also installed. A white marble baseboard ran around the room, and a new oak floor was put in.
First Lady Edith Roosevelt oversaw the furnishing of the room. To create the "baronial" look, tapestries and 11 stuffed animal heads were hung on the walls. The Monroe mantels were moved to other rooms.
Stanford White designed new oak armchairs and mahogany side chairs. These chairs were made by the A. H. Davenport and Company of Boston. He also designed three mahogany side tables with marble tops and carved eagle bases. Large, heavy chairs were also used.
A silver-plated chandelier and eight wall lights were designed by McKim. The chandelier was unique because it had no glass or crystal, just individual candleholders on curved pipes. It was too wide at first and had to be adjusted. Other furniture came from items already in the White House.
Few changes were made after Roosevelt's renovation. First Lady Ellen Axson Wilson had the stuffed animal heads removed in 1913. After her death, President Woodrow Wilson remarried. His new wife, Edith Wilson, disliked the two square tables. She had them replaced with a round table from the White House kitchen. Mrs. Wilson also had the drapes replaced and chairs reupholstered.
1952 Truman Reconstruction
The room stayed mostly the same until 1952. One change was a painting of Abraham Lincoln by George Peter Alexander Healy, hung over the fireplace by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937. This painting has been there ever since. Roosevelt also added a famous quote to the "Buffalo mantel." It was from a letter by John Adams: "I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this House, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."
The White House structure was failing, so it was rebuilt during President Harry S. Truman's time. The building was taken apart, and a new steel frame was built inside the stone walls. Many original materials were damaged or not put back. The State Dining Room had most of its walls and ceiling reinstalled.
During the 1948-1952 rebuilding, the State Dining Room was completely redecorated. The "Buffalo mantel" was replaced with a simple dark green marble mantel. A New York City store, B. Altman and Company, helped choose new fabrics for the carpet and chairs. The "Buffalo mantel" was given to President Truman for his library. The oak wall panels, which were damaged, were reinstalled and painted a bright light green to hide flaws. King George VI of the United Kingdom gave a carved mirror frame and two bronze candelabras. Edith Wilson's round dining table was removed. It was replaced with a mahogany dining table in the style of George Hepplewhite.
Kennedy Renovation
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy worked with experts to restore the State Dining Room. They wanted to highlight the earlier work done in 1902.
The wall panels were repainted bone white. The silver-plated chandelier and wall lights were re-gilded (covered in a thin layer of gold) to match the Monroe-era centerpiece. The 1952 mantel was replaced with a new "Buffalo mantel" made of white marble.
The mahogany side tables were painted to look like white marble with gold lines. Their eagle supports were gilded. A new carpet, similar to one in Leeds Castle, England, was installed. The "Healy Lincoln" portrait was cleaned. The old chairs were replaced with the 1902-style chairs.
The gold drapes from the Truman time stayed until 1967. Then, new drapes with scalloped valances (decorative fabric at the top of the window) were installed. These were designed in 1963.
A Chinese screen was placed in the room in 1961. It was later given to the White House and moved to the second floor. The Monroe-era centerpiece was brought out of storage and placed on the table. New gold-plated baskets were bought for flowers. Crystal glasses were purchased to go with the existing china.
The way the State Dining Room was set for events also changed. Before, tables were set in an E-shape or horseshoe. The Kennedys changed this to round tables. This made it easier for guests to talk and relax. Sometimes, tables were also set in the nearby Blue Room.
Later Updates: Johnson, Nixon, Reagan, Bush
In 1967, Lady Bird Johnson oversaw new drapes and chair upholstery. First Lady Pat Nixon had the room painted antique white in 1971. She also replaced the carpet with one from India.
In 1973, two people splashed blood on the walls and furniture to protest.
First Lady Nancy Reagan hung new gold silk drapes. She had the room repainted antique white in 1981, and then off-white with a brown glaze in 1985.
During President George W. Bush's time, the old 1952 floor was removed. A new white oak floor was installed in a herringbone pattern.
Clinton Renovation
By the early 1990s, the State Dining Room was used by over 50,000 people each year. This heavy use meant the room needed a lot of repair.
In December 1998, First Lady Hillary Clinton showed off a newly renovated State Dining Room. The walls were repainted a light stone color. The console tables were stripped of their paint to show their original mahogany wood. The gilded chandelier and wall lights were cleaned and brightened. The room's 66 chairs were covered in a gold fabric. New ivory silk drapes with colorful baskets, flowers, and ribbons were installed. These drapes matched a 1901 design and reflected the colors of the White House china. A large carpet with a floral design was also installed. The cost of the renovation was paid for by the White House Endowment Trust.
The Clintons also started using the East Room for most state dinners. This was because the East Room could seat 260 people, while the State Dining Room could only hold about 136. They also used large tents on the South Lawn for even bigger dinners. President George W. Bush, however, mostly used the State Dining Room for state dinners again. The gold chairs were often replaced with smaller chairs for these events, as they were too big for many guests.
Obama Renovation
By 2011, the rugs and drapes in the State Dining Room were very worn out.
On June 25, 2015, First Lady Michelle Obama revealed a newly renovated State Dining Room. Planning for this started in 2012. The first part of the renovation was a new carpet, installed in 2012. This wool rug has a border of wreaths and a light blue center with oak leaves. Its design matches the ceiling molding.
The new silk window drapes are a light cream color with peacock blue stripes. This blue color matches the Kailua blue of the White House china, which reminds people of President Obama's home state of Hawaii. The drapes have heavy swags (decorative loops of fabric) and gold fringe. They hang from carved and gilded poles. The walls and moldings were repainted in different shades of white and glazed to show off their details.
A new set of 34 mahogany chairs replaced the old, large chairs. The new chairs include six armchairs and 28 side chairs. They were designed to work well with both the main dining table and smaller round tables. The armchairs are based on a design from 1818 for President James Monroe. The side chairs are a simpler version of this design. All chairs are covered in brown horsehair fabric with brass nailheads.
The White House Endowment Trust paid for the $590,000 renovation.
See also
In Spanish: Sala del Comedor del Estado para niños
