How many football fields do you think could fit inside a single building? Here at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building the answer might surprise you. This magnificent structure stands next to the White House. It holds a unique place in American history and architecture.
Originally known as the State War and Navy Building the Eisenhower Executive Office Building now houses various agencies. These agencies comprise the Executive Office of the President. Think of the White House Office. Consider also the Office of the Vice President the Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Council.
President Ulysses S Grant commissioned the building. It was constructed between 1871 and 1888. The location was once home to the original 1800 War State Navy Building and the White House stables. Alfred B Mullett designed it in the French Second Empire style.
The State War and Navy Building was intended to house those three departments. Its elaborate style drew criticism initially. Today it is a National Historic Landmark.
Let’s step back in time. The first executive offices were built between 1799 and 1820. They flanked the White House on the former site of the Washington Jockey Club. In 1869 Congress formed a commission. It was to select a site and create plans for a new State Department Building. They would also explore housing the War and Navy departments.
Construction of the State War and Navy Building began in 1871. It concluded in 1888. Mullett’s design contrasted sharply with the neoclassical style. Some people did not appreciate it. Mark Twain called it the ugliest building in America. President Harry S Truman called it the greatest monstrosity.
The exterior granite came from Vinalhaven Maine. Richard von Ezdorf designed much of the interior. He used fireproof cast-iron. Skylights sit above each major stairwell. Doorknobs feature cast patterns. These indicate which department originally occupied the space. The total cost was over $10 million.
The original departments quickly outgrew the building. They vacated it in the late 1930s. It became the Old Executive Office Building. There was even talk of demolishing it in 1957.
Restoration of the secretary suites began in 1981. The Secretary of the Navy’s office was restored in 1987. It now serves as the Vice President’s ceremonial office. The 17th Street side was modernized after September 11 2001.
Many important figures have been here. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt William Howard Taft and Franklin D Roosevelt all had offices here before becoming president. So did Eisenhower Lyndon B Johnson Gerald Ford and George H W Bush. Sixteen Secretaries of the Navy 21 Secretaries of War and 24 Secretaries of State have worked within these walls. Winston Churchill walked these corridors. Japanese emissaries met here with Secretary of State Cordell Hull after Pearl Harbor.
President Herbert Hoover used the Secretary of the Navy’s office temporarily. This was after a fire in the Oval Office in 1929. President Dwight D Eisenhower held the first televised presidential news conference here in the Indian Treaty Room in 1955. President Richard Nixon had a private hideaway office here.
Vice President Lyndon B Johnson was the first of many vice presidents to have offices here. Marilyn Quayle was the first vice president’s wife to have an office here.
President Bill Clinton renamed the Old Executive Office Building in 1999. It became the Dwight D Eisenhower Executive Office Building. President George W Bush held a rededication ceremony in 2002.
In December 2007 a small fire damaged an office of the vice-president’s staff. This included the VP ceremonial office.
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building covers over 15 acres. It has over 550 rooms. There are over 1500 exterior windows. Its corridors stretch for almost two miles. It is truly a remarkable building. A building with a rich history. A building that continues to play a vital role in American government.