Please note that the following is a digitized version of a selected article from White House History Quarterly, Issue 55, originally released in print form in 2019. Single print copies of the full issue can be purchased online at Shop.WhiteHouseHistory.org No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. All photographs contained in this journal unless otherwise noted are copyrighted by the White House Historical Association and may not be reproduced without permission. Requests for reprint permissions should be directed to rights@whha.org. Contact books@whha.org for more information. Š 2019 White House Historical Association. All rights reserved under international copyright conventions.
REFLECTIONS
My William White Seale House Our Founding Editor History Hero STEWART D. M C LAURIN PRESIDENT, WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
THISinISSUE MARKS Now its fifty-fifth issue,THE WhiteFIFTYHouse FIFTH Quarterly NUMBERwas OFfirst White House History published History For many years it was in 1983,Quarterly. and entered regular publicaa semi-annual publication. tion semi-annually in 1997. InHowever, 2015, the for the pastwas fiveincreased years, thetoWhite House frequency quarterly to Historical published it share even Association more storieshas of White House quarterly to share even more stories of history. White House history. the Association Since its beginning, beginning, the Association has Since been its fortunate to have the superb has beenguidance fortunateand to have the superb editorial amazing historeditorial guidance ical knowledge of and Dr. amazing William historSeale, ical founding knowledge of Dr. William Seale, the editor of this publication, the founding editor of this publication, who continues to oversee the content who continues to oversee the content of each issue today. In addition to this of eachhe issue In addition to this work, hastoday. written twenty-seven work, on hetopics has related writtentotwenty-seven books the history of books on topics related to the history of the White House, historic landscapes, the White House, historicand landscapes, state capitols, diplomacy, historic state capitols, diplomacy, and historic preservation. preservation. I am not aware of any other histoam not of anyand other historianIwith suchaware command in-depth rian with such and in-depth knowledge of command history specific to the knowledge the White Houseofashistory Williamspecific Seale. Dr.toSeale White House as William Seale. Dr. Seale has pioneered the scholarly study of has pioneered the scholarly of White House architectural andstudy human White House architectural human history for more than fortyand years. His history forincludes more than forty years. His work also the groundbreaking work also includes the groundbreaking two-volume President’s House and the two-volumeand President’s House of and the restoration interpretation more restoration of more than twenty and stateinterpretation capitols and important than twenty state capitols and important American landmarks. American landmarks. “History teaches perspective,” Dr. “History teaches perspective,” Seale has said. “In the avalancheDr. of Seale has “In the avalanche of words that said. rush over us now from the
printedthat words pagerush and over television, us now perspective from the printed is important. page and . . . television, You’ve gotperspective to be able is important. to judge to live. in . . aYou’ve free society. got to History be able to judge helps with to your live in thinking. a free society. And three-diHistory helps with your mensional history, thinking. houses, Andetc., three-dihelps mensional with that all-important history, houses, and life-enrichetc., helps withhistorical ing that all-important imagination.” andThrough life-enrichhis ing historical writing and restoration imagination.” work, Through Seale has his writing and restoration transformed structures into work, stories Sealewith has transformed an energy thatstructures makes history into stories and culture with an energy come alive. that Hismakes unique history multifaceted and culture apcome alive. His unique proach—engaging biography, multifaceted architecapproach—engaging ture, landscape, andbiography, cultural context—is architecture, of hislandscape, own fashioning. and cultural context—is of his Because own fashioning. of William Seale we know howBecause George of Washington William Seale camewe to know meet howIrish the George architect Washington James Hoban cameand to meethethe why chose Irish him architect to build James the President’s Hoban and why hefinest House—the chosestone himhouse to build in eighthe President’s House—the teenth-century America. We finest know stone not
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house inAquia eighteenth-century just that sandstone fromAmerica. Virginia We know Aquia sandstone was used not but just howthat it was quarried and from Virginia used but how it was poled 45 miles was upstream to the building quarried and poled 45 miles upstream site. We know not just that roses emto the building site. We know not just bellish the fine stonework on the White that roses the“Double fine stonework House but embellish that they are Scottish on the White House but thatsymbol they are Roses,” the newly cultivated of “Double Scottish Roses,” the newly culnational pride to the Scottish stonemativated symbol national pride to the sons who carvedofthem. Scottish stonemasons carved them. Because of Williamwho Seale, the rusted oflay William Seale, ironBecause gates that discarded inthe therusted weeds ironthe gates that of laythe discarded in the on shores Potomac for weeds half a on the shores of the Potomac half a century were identified as thosefor installed century wereHouse identified as those installed at the White by James Monroe in at theToday Whitethey House James Monroe in 1818. areby preserved on public 1818. Today they are preserved on public display on the grounds of the American display on the grounds American Horticultural Society of inthe Alexandria, Horticultural Society in Alexandria, Virginia. Because of William Seale, Virginia. Because of William Seale, the collection of iconic photographs by the collection iconic photographs by Abbie Rowe of documenting President Abbie S. Rowe documenting President Harry Truman’s White House renoHarry S. Truman’s White renovation was extracted fromHouse a dustbin to vation was extractedbyfrom a dustbin to be widely published the White House be widely published by the White House Historical Association. Historical The listAssociation. of William Seale’s discoverThehave list ofadded William Seale’s discoveries that to the public underies that have added to the public understanding of the historic White House— standing of the historictoo White the People’s House—is longHouse— for this the People’s tooowes longtremenfor this column. ThisHouse—is organization column. This organization owes tremendous gratitude to him for his dedication, dous gratitude to him for his dedication, his commitment, his knowledge, and his his commitment, and his friendship. friendship.
WH H II T TE E H HO OU US SE E H H II S ST TO OR R II C CA AL L A AS SS SO OC C II A AT T II O ON N W
STEWART D. M C LAURIN PRESIDENT, WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
“These stones are soaked with the history of human experience,” historian William Seale observed while presenting his new book, The President’s House, to President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan in an East Room ceremony, October 16, 1986.