The Truman Balcony is the second-floor

balcony A balcony (from it, balcone, "scaffold") is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor. Types The traditional Maltese balcony ...

of the

Executive Residence Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dire ...

of the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

, which overlooks the

South Lawn The South Lawn at the White House in Washington, D.C., is directly south of the house and is bordered on the east by East Executive Drive and the Treasury Building, on the west by West Executive Drive and the Old Executive Office Building, and ...

. It was completed in March 1948, during the presidency of Harry S. Truman.

Controversy over construction plans

Franklin Roosevelt 1945 Inaugural Address

Truman's plans to build a

off the

Yellow Oval Room The Yellow Oval Room is an oval room located on the south side of the second floor in the White House, the official residence of the president of the United States. First used as a drawing room in the John Adams administration, it has been used ...

were controversial. Truman argued that the addition of a balcony would provide shade for the first floor

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cul ...

, avoiding the need for

awning An awning or overhang is a secondary covering attached to the exterior wall of a building. It is typically composed of canvas woven of acrylic, cotton or polyester yarn, or vinyl laminated to polyester fabric that is stretched tightly over a li ...

s, and would balance the White House's south face by breaking up the long verticals created by the columns. Truman had previously had a request for an extension to the

West Wing The West Wing of the White House houses the offices of the president of the United States. The West Wing contains the Oval Office, the Cabinet Room, the Situation Room, and the Roosevelt Room. The West Wing's four floors contain offices for ...

rejected by Congress. Though Truman had told

Howell G. Crim Howell Gardner Crim (October 2, 1898 – May 11, 1959) was an American civil servant best known for being the Chief Usher of the White House in Washington, D.C., from 1938 to 1957. Early life Howell Gardner Crim was born October 2, 1898, in Shar ...

, the White House Chief Usher, and

J. B. West James Bernard West (July 27, 1912 – July 18, 1983) was the 6th Chief Usher of the White House serving from 1957 to 1969. His best-selling book, ''Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies'' (with Mary Lynn Kotz), documents ...

, Crim's assistant, of his ideas for a balcony, he had kept his plans secret until the announcement by his press secretary, Charlie Ross. The plans were executed by

William Adams Delano William Adams Delano (January 21, 1874 – January 12, 1960), an American architect, was a partner with Chester Holmes Aldrich in the firm of Delano & Aldrich. The firm worked in the Beaux-Arts tradition for elite clients in New York City, Long I ...

, who had carried out alterations to the house during the presidency of

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Ma ...

. Critics of the proposal, including members of the Commission of Fine Arts, argued that the Classic Greek style of the building would be undermined in order to create a leisure space for the

First Family First Family is an unofficial title for the family of a republic's head of state. A first family usually consists of: the head of state, the first spouse and their children. Related terms The term ''second family'' is often used to refer to ...

. The Commission's chairman, civil engineer and landscape architect Gilmore David Clarke, wrote to Truman to voice his opposition to the balcony. Truman responded, restating his belief that the residence would be enhanced by the project especially as it presented an opportunity to replace unattractive awnings, which he said collected dirt and constituted an eyesore, with wooden shades that could be rolled up under the new balcony. Contemporary political cartoonists satirized the President's balcony project, suggesting that it might even cost him the 1948 presidential election.

Construction and subsequent history

Plans for the balcony were approved by architect

. No request was made to

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

for the $16,050.74 () cost of constructing the balcony, as Truman had saved a sufficient sum from his household account. Once the balcony was completed, several of those who had opposed the project wrote to the President acknowledging that the balcony had in fact improved the south face of the Residence.

References

External links

Truman balcony, whitehousemuseum.org
{{Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman White House Buildings and structures completed in 1948

Controversy over construction plans

Construction and subsequent history

References

Further reading

External links