White House Relics and the Stories They Tell

Collect the White House … really? Can you even do that? That’s a phrase, or a variation of one, I have heard over many years. It turns out that you actually can collect the White House, thanks to the renovations of the past century. There are a growing number of collectors who do.

There are many collectors who specialize in acquiring pieces that were used in the White House over the last 200-plus years. China and silver service are popular examples of those. What I am referring to, though, are the pieces that were used during the building of the White House … an actual part of the White House.

These are pieces of virgin pine structural timbers that had started growing in Colonial times, the handmade clay bricks formed and fired from the local clay by laborers and the enslaved, the decorative moldings crafted by early plasterers and woodworkers. They were all a silent witness to the events that shaped our Nation.

Each of these pieces has a story to tell and the owners are sometimes a part of that story. The White House has long been an important symbol of this Nation and its citizens feel a connection to its occupants and the building itself. Just owning a small piece of the President’s House conveys a feeling of attachment to its history.

Many of the souvenirs and relics of the building of the White House come from the three major renovations of the last century. Theodore Roosevelt’s 1902 renovation was the first major structural work done since the British burning in 1814. Calvin Coolidge replaced the roof and expanded the third floor in 1927. Harry Truman dismantled and replaced the complete interior of the White House between 1948 and 1952.

Roosevelt’s 1902 renovation showed that there was a strong desire by the general public to acquire a piece of the historic building as a souvenir. As the ground floor was being dismantled the workmen were literally followed by collectors who wanted to take home a little piece of the White House. The superintendent of the work, Col. T.A. Bingham, put a stop to the practice by June, not too long after it began.

The 1927 roof replacement by Calvin Coolidge was a lot more restricted as far as removing pieces for souvenirs. The prime contractor, the N. P. Severin Co., had to agree in their contract to not allow debris to be removed from the grounds. To satisfy the public demand, a year later an auction was held for some of the removed timber. The National Lumber Manufacturers Association was the high bidder for much of the leftover lumber.

Harry Truman’s 1948-1952 massive renovation prompted tens of thousands of citizens to write to their Congressmen to request a piece of the White House as a souvenir. The Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion, after much debate, agreed to set up a special Souvenir Office at Fort Myer, VA, to satisfy the public demand. A list of thirteen “Memento Kits” was mailed out to all who sent in a request. For a very nominal fee plus postage, 29,835 Kits were mailed out by the end of the 10-month program in 1951. Each “Kit” had a small bronze plaque added to authenticate the piece.

Examples of souvenirs and relics from the White House can take one of two forms. The first is an original, unfinished, rough piece that was removed right out of the White House.

The second is a rough piece that has been transformed into a usable souvenir. Canes, gavels, candlesticks, and bookends are just some of the types of souvenirs that original owners created with their little pieces of history.

One of the most popular kits was “Kit #1 – enough old pine to make a gavel.” A total of 5,059 were sent out to collectors at $2 apiece. Many fraternal organizations, lodges, and clubs were recipients of gavels made with White House wood. The actual location where the wood came from in the White House was generally unknown with some exceptions. Rep. J. Caleb Boggs obtained some wood from a joist in the Lincoln Room and presented it to Judge Percy Green of Delaware. Green then made a gavel which he then presented to the Lincoln Club of Wilmington in 1952. Dixon, IL, Circuit Judge George C. Dixon also used a gavel made from Lincoln Room wood provided to him by White House building inspector Bert Smyce, a fellow Dixie man.

One of the more interesting gavels was made by White House Architect Lorenzo S. Winslow. He had access to any wood that he desired and made gavels as a hobby in his Georgetown home workshop. This particular gavel was made from the early mahogany wood that was used to trim the windows in the famous East Room.

Rev. Howard D. Bare, affectionately known as Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s “Whittling Preacher” made a particularly unique piece with his gavel kit. In 1951, using the wood for the handle, he carved likenesses of Pres. Abe Lincoln and Pres. James Buchanan, which he mounted on the gavel head block. Out of the hundreds of small carvings he did in his lifetime, this masterpiece was one of his last. He passed away 2 months later.

Presidents and their staff realized the historic value of the original material and had Christmas gifts and other unique pieces made as special presentations. These are some of the more sought-after souvenirs by White House collectors. Eleanor Roosevelt’s workshop at Val-Kill produced some excellent pieces using the timber removed in 1927. Truman’s Renovation Commission contracted for small Lucite paperweights, containing embedded relics, to offer to members of Congress, VIPs, and others connected to the renovation.

Original 1790s White House bricks, hand molded by the brickmakers and enslaved workers on the north grounds of the property are popular souvenirs desired by collectors. Enough bricks, about 160, to help build a fireplace were sent out to 63 homeowners around the country, from Miami, Florida to Waco, Texas, to Los Angeles, California, to Flint, Michigan, and cities in between. In addition, 4,520 individual bricks were mailed out at $1 each to souvenir hunters who wanted to own a tangible part of history. A few of them even showed evidence of charring from the burning of the President’s House by the British Army in 1814.

Some of the White House bricks made their way to the Seventh World Boy Scout Jamboree in Austria in 1951. Arthur A. Schuck, chief U.S. Scout Executive, presented them to scout representatives from free nations. He said, “These bricks shall be a token of world understanding”. They were “given as a symbol of American friendship to Boy Scout homes in all corners of the earth”.

The Renovation Commission also honored a request by George Washington’s Mount Vernon for about 95,000 of the original bricks. They were used and can be viewed and enjoyed today in the reconstructed Greenhouse and several of the garden walls.

The Smithsonian Institution and several Presidential Libraries have relics and souvenirs on display. Among the best is the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, MO. Excess White House mantles were distributed to nine museums around the country with the most given to the Smithsonian.

Most of the pieces found in collections are identified in some way. Many of the earlier renovation relics were identified with a paper tag or accompanying letter of provenance. Later pieces, beginning with the 1927 renovation usually had some type of metal identification plate attached. The National Lumber Manufacturers Association’s “Certified By Centuries” tags were among the most often seen. Truman’s Renovation Commission Souvenir Office issued a small metal plaque reading “Original White House Material Removed in 1950” with each memento kit mailed out.

Authentication is extremely important when purchasing and valuing an item for any collection. As with any type of antique or collectible, the more documentation you have the more interesting and valuable it is to a collector. It’s important to know the reputation of the seller.

As far as the values of White House relics and souvenirs are concerned, it’s difficult to place a definitive price on most pieces. Many examples you may come across are unique and one-of-a-kind. In these cases, it really depends on the situation. Every transaction is different depending on the negotiations between the buyer and seller at that time. At auction, it depends on the number of bidders and can even be affected by media coverage.

Many variables factor into pricing these unique pieces. Condition is always important. On souvenir pieces, workmanship is a factor. Beautiful and professional workmanship is always desirable. Gavels made with original White House wood are a fitting example of this. Some gavels are very simple, and some are extremely well made, depending on the experience of the maker and their wood-turning skills. A plain, simple gavel might sell for $150-$200 while an elaborate professionally made one would bring $700-$800. As with any other collectible, documentation and provenance of a piece can affect its value greatly.

The more knowledge you, as a collector, have in any field of collecting, especially this one, the wiser the decision you can make when you find a piece for sale. With patience, knowledge, persistence, and good timing there are still good deals to be found. White House relics and souvenirs can sometimes be a challenge to find but the effort is well worth the time you put into it.

There are many excellent books and articles published dealing with the history of the White House. The publications of the White House Historical Association are among the most authoritative sources of this general history. The only book, however, on the subject of collecting these relics and souvenirs of the White House is, White House Renovation Souvenirs. Recently published, it is a valuable, comprehensive source of background history showing hundreds of photos of pieces in collections around the country.

White House collectors are an interesting group. Most love history and are passionate about preserving it. Many crossover fields are represented, including Americana relic collectors, Civil War collectors, Lincoln collectors, as well as Political collectors. Almost anyone with an interest in history and a penchant for collecting could easily transition to this growing field. The personal satisfaction of owning an original part of the most historic residence in the country, if not the world, is a great incentive for beginning a new and wonderful collection.