The White House Renovation, Part 2: The Irreplaceable Loss of the JKO Garden & East Wing

Today’s post is a continuation of Sunday’s post about the White House Renovation– and building of a new ballroom, because I have a few more things to share.

In Part 1, we explored the design and scale of the proposed White House Ballroom. In this follow-up, I’m focusing on the real tragedy of the White House Renovation—the destruction of the historic East Wing and the Jackie Kennedy Garden, a living memorial that can never be replaced.

While no laws were explicitly broken, the custodial parties are upset that this project has commenced without finalized plans and approval. Building without approval is unlawful, so the project cannot proceed until that’s finalized. From what I gather, that process can take months if not years.

 

Geeezzz, Laurel. You are a glutton for punishment.

 

No, actually, I’m not. You see, what happened on Sunday that should not have happened is exactly like this:

Now and then, I get a craving for peanuts in the shell. (I enjoy working for my food—haha.) Anyway, the other day I bought a medium-sized bag at that expensive grocer on Charles Street—Bostonians know it well. I was hungry, so I sat on a bench outside, cracked a few open, and they were delicious. Then I bit into one that tasted like gasoline. Of course, I couldn’t very well spit it out.

 

I took the rest home, tried a few more, and got another horrid nut that was even worse.

 

I hurled it into the sink and did whatever I could to get that awful taste out of my mouth.

That’s what reading your comments was like on Sunday. Most were sweet and savory—but a few were downright rotten.

Today is your chance for redemption.

 

If you cannot do that, or don’t realize you were writing with a poison pen, please do me a favor: take your smug sourpuss self and leave me and the sweet peanuts to have our moment in peace.

 

Most of us aren’t interested in vitriol, and I, for one, don’t want to have to spit you out either. However, if you can’t control yourself, please understand that you will be dumped into the garbage along with the other rancid nuts.

Thank you.

 

***

 

Okay, I decided not to tack this onto Sunday’s post because it was already pretty long. But if you missed Part 1, you must read it first. There’s a lot of pertinent information there that I won’t repeat, and this follow-up won’t make sense without it.

At the very least, read it before commenting, or we might end up with more of the same poison from those who think trolling is a form of civic duty.

Please also know there’s another mandatory assignment at the end of this post—something every loyal American citizen needs to see.

 

What went wrong with the White House renovation plans?

 

This isn’t about left or right. It’s not even, technically, about “the law,” because somehow the White House sits outside most of the normal rules.

 

Here’s what stunned me:

 

•  The White House is exempt from the National Historic Preservation Act, the very law that protects almost every other historic federal building in America.
• The National Capital Planning Commission, which must review any new federal construction in Washington, D.C., claims it has no authority over demolition—only over the later vertical construction.
• So, yes—the East Wing and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden were demolished before any formal plans or permits were filed.
  Can you imagine? You and I can’t so much as replace a kitchen cabinet without stamped drawings and a permit, yet the most famous house in the country can lose 12,000 square feet—including a historic colonnade dating back to Jefferson—without any public review.

 

True, Jefferson’s original colonnade had to be torn down in 1866—it was beyond repair, coming on the heels of the Civil War.

 

But in 1902, with the genius firm McKim, Mead & White, the West Wing, East Colonnade, and the first iteration of the East Wing were designed and built. So, yes, part of what was torn down was 123 years old and an important part of the White House heritage.

It was freaking glorious.

 

Above is a 1920 image of the west wing and east wing in the distance. Please notice the beautiful rose garden.

Another interesting thing I read somewhere, that the West Wing was originally supposed to be a temporary building. And while they added on to it, the temporary structure remains. That’s an awfully good-looking building for something that wasn’t meant to last.

 

Now, let’s look more closely at the gone-forever east wing.

 

Above is from 1916

I believe this image was taken shortly after it was built in 1902.

 

The wings were expanded again during the Truman administration, and the main residence—near collapse—was gutted and rebuilt from within.

 

Then came First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who lovingly restored the interiors and the spirit of the White House itself.

 

CBS produced a fantastic documentary in 1962 where Jackie shares the White House history and takes us room to room, offering anecdotes about the furnishings, why they were chosen, and their significance.

 

 

We owe Jackie Kennedy Onassis (JKO) a tremendous debt of gratitude.

 

This film is required viewing—at least the first 30 minutes and the last 5 minutes. That is when President Kennedy speaks candidly about the history of the White House and its importance.

It’s funny, but you may recall that our glorious Boston Public Library was also designed by McKim, Mead, & White about 7 years before the White House’s 1902 additions and renovation.

 

The new Boston Public Library circa 1895.

 

And as is true with the White House, our Copley Square disaster is meeting up with the beautiful past in ways that lack harmony.

Geezzz. $19,000,000 for this renovation sounds like pocket change compared to $300,000,000 for the new ballroom!

 

 

Before you comment.

 

Please watch the JKO YouTube segments. It was filmed during a time of relative innocence. It breaks my heart watching it now.

I remember it well—I was in the second grade when President Kennedy was assassinated. We were sent home from school early. It was more awful than I can say.

I cannot imagine how heartsick the Kennedys would be if they knew that one of their precious “arms” had been literally chewed off—and Jackie’s garden, a living monument to her memory– leveled.

 

The real tragedy

 

The problem is simple: no oversight, no plan, and no accountability.
This has made realize just how much I love my country until I witnessed a part of its rich heritage being ripped away.

It’s often said that the West Wing is the brain of the White House; the East Wing is the heart.
Life cannot exist without a heart.
It’s gone—forever; it can’t be replaced. And that makes me sad.

 

Please enjoy this article in Elle Decor sharing past events in the east wing.

 

The only thing we can do is speak up to ensure that what replaces it meets the modern needs.  But, that it does so in a way that continues to honor, respect, and preserve the past.

 

That is why I’m spending so much time on this. I feel quite strongly about this one. However, we’ll move on after this.

In closing, there is nothing wrong with change. It’s necessary, but especially with a project of this historic importance, the changes must be done with a tremendous amount of consideration for the project as a whole, not just one part.

In addition, I am concerned that there’s been adequate surveying, engineering and protection of the existing structures. This is why there are building codes and inspectors. Competent oversight is an essential component of a successful building project. It’s also essential for the protection of the people working and utilizing the space afterward.

Sorry. The comments have been turned off due to continued disregard for my wishes not to engage others in political debate. As I’ve said, this is not the forum for that. This post and the one prior are about design, not the current or past administrations.

I appreciate your understanding.

xo,

 

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