Truman Reconstruction
Systematic failure of the internal wood beam structure required reconstruction during the administration of Harry S. Truman. The building was dismantled and an internal steel superstructure was constructed within the sandstone walls. While providing critically needed repairs, much of the original interior materials were damaged or not reinstalled. The State Dining Room, more than any room had the majority of its wall and ceiling materials reinstalled. Damage to the wood, and a desire to make the room feel less English and more American led to the painting of the oak paneling. The McKim mantel was moved to Truman's presidential library and replaced with a simple neo-Georgian style mantel of dark green marble. A set of reproductions of Chippendale-style side chairs replaced the McKim's Queen Anne-style chairs at the dining table.
Read more about this topic: State Dining Room
Famous quotes containing the word truman:
“When you get to be President, there are all those things, the honors, the twenty-one gun salutes, all those things. You have to remember it isn’t for you. It’s for the Presidency.”
—Harry S. Truman (1884–1972)