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ollect 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
CHouse, thanks to the renovations of the past century. There are a growing number of
collectors who do.

The Foundation: Sticks and Stones
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.

Maintenance, Renovation, and Memento Kits
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 This 12-inch plate was made from part of a wood
wall panel taken out of the White House during
the workmen were literally followed by collectors who wanted to take home a little piece of the Theodore Roosevelt’s renovation
White House. The superintendent of the work, Col. T.A. Bingham, put a stop to the practice by in the summer of 1902.
June, not too long after it began.

Left: Secretary of Agriculture, W.M. Jardine, presented about 147 of these gavels to members of the 1st National 4-H Club convention in Wash., D.C. in June 1927. The
head was made of White House wood and the handle of hickory from Mount Vernon. These were probably the first souvenirs from Pres. Coolidge’s 1927 roof renovation.
Center: This small wood block was presented to 5,000 schools around the country to promote the use of wood over steel as a strong, long-lasting structural framing material.
This particular block was sent to the Rome Public Schools in Rome, NY. Right: This original brick exhibits the scorch marks as evidence of the British Army burning in 1814.
This was removed during President Truman’s 1950 renovation and is quite scarce.
20 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles