U.S. Presidents’ Homes

Washington added this stately room to his Virginia home to celebrate elegance, beauty, and craftsmanship, qualities he valued in both architecture and politics. The bold green wallpaper and the 21 pieces of fine art signaled prosperity.

The high ceiling added grandeur to a salon made for large parties and receiving high-ranking guests. Two exterior doors allow cross ventilation during hot Virginia summers. According to his wishes, the first president’s body lay in this room for three days after his death in December 1799.

This north-facing window is based on a design by Italian architect Andrea Palladio. Its central arched window is wider and taller than the square sidelights, divided by Doric pilasters with delicate, ornate carvings.

When Washington asked friends to find the perfect centerpiece for his New Room, Samuel Vaughn offered this fireplace surround with carvings depicting rural life in Essex, England. It was installed in 1786 and probably inspired the motifs on the ceilings and walls.

Staff served food and drinks from this pair of mahogany sideboards crafted by Scottish immigrant John Aitken. When Washington was near to retirement, he ordered 27 pieces of furniture from Aitken, including two dozen chairs and a bookcase.

One of the few pieces of art that still hangs in its original place, this is the earliest known oil painting purchased by Washington. Secret: a recent digital scan revealed that this historic landscape was painted on top of a previous painting.

After James Madison married his young wife, Dolley, he decided to expand his home to include this formal dining room where the couple loved to entertain.

An extensive restoration was completed in 2008 which restored Montpelier’s rooms to their 1820 appearance, complete with authentic horsehair plaster, historic replications of decorations and furniture (including some originals), and of course, a visitors’ center.

Historians tells us that the Madisons were enamored of all things French, including furnishings. In 1815, they purchased wallpaper from Henri Virchaux, a French designer who was popular among wealthy homeowners. This paper is a replica of their choice.

The ghost-like figures seated around the table include Andrew Jackson, the Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe. The man of the house sits on the side of the table, not at the customary head.

Dolley sat at the head of the table, managing the dinner and the servants and orchestrating conversation. She had a flair for words and loved being the center of attention. Her husband, the president, was more subdued.

Madison lived to be 85. In his later years, he had trouble walking, but his mind was still sharp. He worked, slept, and ate in this room off the busy dining room.

This room combines simple American furniture with ornate European touches, reflecting the Monroe’s time spent in Europe and James Monroe’s dedication to building relationships between the young United States and its more mature European relatives.

Domestic slaves or “house servants” included cooks, maids, and personal valets. The family relied on them constantly for food, cleaning, maintenance, sewing, and spinning. This dress is a replica of what a female house servant might have worn.

These elaborately decorated and gilded timepieces were made in France during the early 19th century. French clockmakers of the period often combined marble or alabaster with bronze or even gold. These smaller clocks are protected by glass bells.

This table can be expanded to seat a dozen guests. It is reproduction of one made by British cabinetmaker George Heppelwhite, whose style featured curved shapes and slender designs. No original pieces by Heppelwhite are known to exist.

This brick home in the Kalorama-Embassy Row area of Washington, D.C., is where President and Mrs. Wilson retired from the White House in 1921. The 28th U.S. president lived here until his death in 1924, and his wife lived in the house until 1961.

It features a marble entryway and a solarium that overlooks a formal garden and holds a 100-year-old Steinway piano and a wall-sized tapestry presented by the people of France after World War I.

This famous photograph of Wilson and King George V was taken in December, 1918, the first time a sitting U.S. president travelled to England to meet a reigning royal. Wilson was traveling to the Paris peace conference that ended World War II.

Wilson attended Princeton University and graduated in 1879 with high honors. At Princeton, he studied history and political philosophy, wrote for the literary review, and was a member of the debate society.

This is a candlestick telephone, a popular style developed for the Bell System. When not in use, the receiver rests on a hook on the side of the stand. This one looks like a Western Electric #20B, patented in 1904.

This wood-and-ivory model of an armored cruiser, such as those used in World War I, was a gift from Wilson to his personal aide and physician, Cary T. Grayson. The Wilson House recently re-acquired the model for its collection.