History
Before the construction of the West Wing in 1902, the current Lincoln Bedroom was used as either an office or a meeting room for the president's Cabinet. When the president's staff was moved to the new West Wing, this room became a bedroom suite called the "Blue Bedroom." When the White House was gutted and rebuilt during the Truman administration, these southeast corner rooms were rebuilt and dedicated to Abraham Lincoln.
The room has been redecorated several times in the past half century, most notably by Jackie Kennedy, but always including furnishings from the Victorian period.
When Abraham Lincoln was president, the southeast corner suite was used as his personal office and Cabinet room (it was used in this manner by all presidents between 1830 and 1902). During the Lincoln presidency, the walls were covered with Civil War maps. It had dark green wallpaper, and the carpeting was also dark green. Newspapers were stacked on the desk and tables along with large amounts of mail and requests from office seekers. Two large wicker wastebaskets were filled with debris.
President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in this southeast suite on January 1, 1863.
Read more about this topic: Lincoln Bedroom
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)