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Two men stand precariously in what
remains of the second floor Oval Study above the Blue Room. The north wall
and part of the floor have been removed for the installation of steel shoring
columns, March 9, 1950. |
Central window of the north wall
of the East Room, showing installation for a supporting steel beam running
north and south through the East Room. The beam prevented the exterior walls
from bulging during renovation work, April 6, 1950. |
View to the southeast corner of
the White House. The arch of the main stairway and wooden joist of the second
floor corridor are seen on the right of the photograph, April 20, 1950.
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Southeast view from the Lobby showing
progress in removing the interior walls and excavation below basement in
eastern part of the building, May 2, 1950. |
Window openings provide bursts of
light into the cavernous interior of the White House, now supported only
by a delicate web of temporary steel supports. The exterior walls rest on
new concrete underpinnings, which allow earth-moving equipment to dig a
new basement, May 17, 1950. |
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A massive new 36" concrete sewer
line is laid through the new concrete foundation wall. While one workman
prepares to send excavated dirt out on a cart through one section of the
sewer line, another workman prepares a new section for installation into
the excavated area by means of hydraulic jacks, July 6, 1950. |
This photograph, taken on March
7, 1950, shows the cracked wooden support beam underneath Margaret Truman's
sitting room on the second floor of the White House. Her piano broke through
the floor in 1948, after which the steel supports were added to reinforce
the weakened beam. |
This photograph, taken on March
9, 1950, shows the State Dining Room with temporary wooden beams added to
support the weight of the second floor above. |
This view to the south in the main
stairway shows the steps and brick supports of the second floor stairs have
been removed and only the supports for the basement stairs remain, March
13, 1950. |
Photographer Abbie Rowe is shown
examining the new concrete underpinning for the exterior walls of the White
House on March 21, 1950. The new concrete foundation extends 25 feet below
the old stone foundation, a section of which is visible in the center of
the photograph. |
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A section of the brick archway leading
from the Diplomatic Reception Room on the ground floor of the White House
has been removed to provide room for the installation of steel shoring columns,
March 21, 1950. |
Northeast view of the second floor
from the Monroe Room. The large wooden joist, above the ceiling and across
the entire length of the East Room, dates from 1915-1818. The iron joists
were installed in 1902, April 14, 1950. |
A ground floor archway and the outline
of the former stairway between the ground floor and first floor are about
all that remain as interior walls are removed and replaced with temporary
steel supports, April 25, 1950. |
View to the east wall of the White
House. Except for the archway below the west wall of the Main Stairs, the
interior walls in this area have been removed, May 8, 1950. |
This view of the south façade of
the White House on May 10, 1950 shows construction in progress. Material
removed from the building with the intention of reusing it, is stored under
the shed roof at the left of the photograph. |
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East view along the south wall from
the west window in the Housekeeper's Office. The Allis-Chalmers Diesel-powered
Cletrac shovel is loading the truck, which goes out through the opening
in the south wall near the east end, May 25, 1950. |
Northwest view from the concrete
beam at the south central part of the White House showing the interior steel
framework supporting the roof and the third floor, June 12, 1950.
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View along the south wall looking
west from the center of the excavated area. The earth along the walls was
left unexcavated until cross beams, running north and south, were installed
to prevent the walls from bulging, June 12, 1950. |
