East Wing: Difference between revisions

Structure part of the White House complex

The East Wing was originally constructed in 1902 as an extension to the White House. It underwent a major expansion and renovation in 1942. In 2025, much of the East Wing was demolished as part of a planned rebuild to accommodate the White House State Ballroom. The building served as office space for the first lady and her staff, including the White House social secretary, correspondence staff, and the White House Graphics and Calligraphy Office, all of which have been temporarily relocated.^[1]

The East Wing includes the East Colonnade, a corridor which houses the White House Family Theater and connects the body of the East Wing to the Executive Residence. The East Wing was built on top of the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, a secure emergency underground shelter for the president.^[2]

President Thomas Jefferson added colonnaded terraces to the east and west sides of the White House, but no actual wings. Under President Andrew Jackson in 1834, running water was piped in from a spring and pumped up into the east terrace in metal tubes. These ran through the walls and protruded into the rooms, controlled by spigots. Initially, the water was for washing items, but soon the first bathing rooms were created, in the ground-level east colonnade. President Martin Van Buren had shower baths installed here. The East Terrace was removed in 1866. For many years, a greenhouse occupied the east grounds of the White House.^[2]

The first small East Wing was built during the Theodore Roosevelt renovations, as an entrance for formal and public visitors. This served mainly as an entrance for guests during large social gatherings, when it was necessary to accommodate many cars and carriages. Its primary feature was the long cloak room with spots for coats and hats of the ladies and gentlemen.^[2][3]

The two-story East Wing^[4][5] was added to the White House in 1942 primarily to cover the construction of an underground bunker, now known as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC). Around the same time, Theodore Roosevelt’s coatroom became the White House Family Theater. Later, offices for correspondence, calligraphers and the social secretary were placed in the East Wing.

Rosalynn Carter, in 1977, was the first first lady to keep her own office in the East Wing.^[6] The social office prepares all of the invitations and written correspondence for every event held at the White House.^[2]

Social and touring visitors to the White House usually entered through the East Wing’s Visitors Office,^[2] continuing through the wood-paneled lobby, where portraits of presidents and first ladies hung. They continued through the Garden Room and along the East Colonnade, which has a view of the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, past the theater to the Visitors’ Foyer, and then on to the residence with entry made at the ground floor.^[7]

In July 2025, the White House released renderings of the planned White House State Ballroom.^[8] Initially, the venue was expected to be able to host up to 650 people for events, but that capacity was later revised to 900 people.^[9] Clark Construction was awarded the $200M contract,^[10] with work planned to begin in September 2025.^[11][12] According to a White House spokesperson, the “entirety” of the East Wing will eventually be “modernized and rebuilt” as part of the project.^[13][14][15] Much of the East Wing was demolished in October 2025 without review by the National Capital Planning Commission, which oversees federal construction.^[13][16]

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38°53′51.2″N 77°2′8.4″W / 38.897556°N 77.035667°W / 38.897556; -77.035667