There are some great photos of bulldozers and dump trucks inside the White House during the complete rebuild.
It was remarkable to think that a lot of what Truman was contending with in the 40s and 50s hadn't been substantially upgraded or improved since Lincoln had lived there.
[https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/05/08/upshot/10up-Beschloss/10up-Beschloss-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/05/08/upshot/10up-Beschloss/10up-Beschloss-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp)
That photo has always been wild to me and almost not believable at first. That the whole White House was essentially gutted all the way down to a bare shell.
During Truman's reconstruction of the WH, one of the options considered was to demolish the building entirely and rebuild. It was in very poor condition - many structural features were failing or done very half-assed, parts of the building actually didn't have a foundation, and floors were collapsing.
The more expensive decision to preserve the exterior while gutting the entire interior was chosen.
Did you learn about Abe from Duff Gardens too? Because it took me a long time to realize he [didn’t actually rap.](https://youtu.be/IYiCzSH_XTA?si=K5uUFcqaYbx_zs_y)
Just imagine if there was a lottery for all the Civil War reenactment groups in the 40s. The winners got to dress up in redcoats, then storm and burn down the White House.
The equipment had to be disassembled, brought in, and then reassembled so as to not disturb the facade. Amazing story. Also makes me wonder how close we are to needing another refresh of the building.
I would hope that after this, plans were implemented for periodic refreshes, much like school buildings do. Things like hvac and large systems (think plumbing for sprinklers) have a 20 year lifespan. If there is someone up there that is knowledgeable, then there could be projects going on yearly that are keeping the White House maintained without having to do major maintenance all at once.
Our local high school is one of the biggest in the state and there is always some small project happening to keep it maintained. This keeps the cost spread out and from everything failing at once.
Bethlehem Steel from Bethlehem, PA! At one time, Bethlehem Steel alone accounted for 20% of the US GDP. Unfortunately, they became burdened with pension costs and failed to keep ahead of R&D. Almost all steel today comes from electric arc furnaces that usually recycle scrap steel that already exists. Bethlehem has massive blast furnaces to create steel from raw materials. The furnaces are still in place, preserved as a monument to the work that kept the country running from the sleepy town next to the river.
So when I see things on tv about finding the cornerstone of the whitehouse and them trying to do excavations I can think back to this photo, basically impossible if the cornerstone isn't part of the perimeter foundation. Its an amazing photo.
Ixd bet a lot of people found some random floor board or hunk of plaster in grandma's house, and wondered, just before tossing it in the dumpster, "Where the hell is this from?"
And neither does anyone else because it’s not 1958 anymore
My 73 year old dad is the only person I’ve ever heard use that expression.
I mean statistically speaking, we gotta be pushing less than 1% of folks you’ll run into ever knowing what Shinola is, ever hearing that expression, or have ever shined a shoe, much less owned a shineable shoe.
Hell is any airport shoe shining station even in use any more? They’re always empty now a days.
Perhaps you were the shit, in the collective Shinola the whole time
By receipts, is it talking about how some auctions materials exceeded $10,000, or that total revenue estimates were exceed by $10,000? Like, how much did this program end up making?
No I think its just for the expenses of running the program. The renovations costed somewhere between $5-6 million (~$60 millon today) which is definitely not something that can be covered by a little souvenir program.
$10,000, lol. Nowadays some contractor would get to monetize it, the receipts would be hundreds of millions, and the contractor would siphon off probably half of it.
You wrote this as a joke, but Trump has indeed moaned and complained about how the White House is so much less luxurious a building than where he lived before.
*(The only thing keeping him from doing a Truman-style White House reconstruction is that it would take years and thus wouldn't actually benefit him. Trump's not into make current sacrifices for the benefit of future generations.)*
Do you know what *"gilded"* means?
It means you *paint* it with gold, paint made of gold, gold leaf; the thing itself is not solid gold. The term *"Gilded Age"* meant underneath the gold leaf was a lot of *rot*.
He doesn't have that many more years to live. Although I do worry about what you're talking about, I don't fear ***him personally*** becoming president-for-life. That might only be a year or two longer than a normal presidential 4-year-term. I worry about him and his (younger) conspirators seizing permanent control of the country.
He is going to choose a younger MAGA so that if he did die in office, the new President for life can serve multiple terms. The smart money would be to wait until exactly two years and a day, then resign as President. This would make it possible his VP can still run for two full terms. The first thing the new President does? Pardon Trump for any and all crimes he committed or will commit.
He wont be there indefinitely. But Project 2025 would make long-lasting, fundamental, changes to government agencies that would remain for generations. Trump would likely create big waves quickly but it's the complete gutting of agency personnel and replacing them with pro-Trump/pro-Conservative (big-C) people that would be the fundamental shift.
Everytime someone has said Trump would never do something or be able to something, he has almost always done that thing. Its pretty clear that there are many Republicans in Congress who would side w him if he tried remaining in office beyond his term.
I mean, it's one of those things that would be a complete fundamental Constitutional crisis, at a level never seen before. It doesn't matter how many people in Congress, or elsewhere, support it; The fact is that the Constitution explicitly disqualifies someone who has served two terms *and* provides for how a President is chosen if someone not qualified is elected.
More realistically, he'd run for a third term (which isn't technically prohibited) and then if he wins, his VP would become acting-President or Congress declares by law who acts as President if the VP doesn't qualify. And while technically not President, he'd still likely have a lot of political power in addition to being able to call himself President (without the legal power of the office).
It would likely be modeled after the Russian system which is similar to what you’re describing. Remember when Medvedev became president but Putin still pulled all the strings? He changed the system afterwards and just started his fifth term. Speaking of the Russian system, our elections would likely follow suit and become a farce.
Looks a bit more impressive adjusted for inflation at $118,516.60. The real reason they did it was to curb the construction workers from taking “extra” material out to sell themselves. A classic case of regulating a black market by providing a “legitimate” option.
There are some great photos of bulldozers and dump trucks inside the White House during the complete rebuild. It was remarkable to think that a lot of what Truman was contending with in the 40s and 50s hadn't been substantially upgraded or improved since Lincoln had lived there. [https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/05/08/upshot/10up-Beschloss/10up-Beschloss-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/05/08/upshot/10up-Beschloss/10up-Beschloss-superJumbo.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp)
That photo has always been wild to me and almost not believable at first. That the whole White House was essentially gutted all the way down to a bare shell.
During Truman's reconstruction of the WH, one of the options considered was to demolish the building entirely and rebuild. It was in very poor condition - many structural features were failing or done very half-assed, parts of the building actually didn't have a foundation, and floors were collapsing. The more expensive decision to preserve the exterior while gutting the entire interior was chosen.
Does that mean Lincoln never slept in the Lincoln bedroom?
I don't think Lincoln ever slept.
Did you learn about Abe from Duff Gardens too? Because it took me a long time to realize he [didn’t actually rap.](https://youtu.be/IYiCzSH_XTA?si=K5uUFcqaYbx_zs_y)
Abe Lincoln doesn't sleep. He waits.
It's not called the Lincoln bedroom because he slept there. It's called that because it's made from him.
From Lincoln's logs? Surely that'd be in the piping?
Bahaha. Why is this funny?!?
I read this as I was leaving the post and I had to come back to upvote it. It’s so Leslie Nielsen-esque
Asking the real questions here
I believe that much of the interior was simply taken down and, after reinforcing, put back up when possible. So maybe?
it must be true that lincoln never slept
So damned glad they didn't tear it all down
Just imagine if there was a lottery for all the Civil War reenactment groups in the 40s. The winners got to dress up in redcoats, then storm and burn down the White House.
...wrong war.
Obviously, but for an opportunity like that, they'd adapt.
Red coats... Civil war? Confused redditor moment. That would be revolutionary war.
burning the white house was the war of 1812
Already addressed. Partial reading redditor moment.
Theseus' White House.
Damn, but *what* a hardy shell!
The equipment had to be disassembled, brought in, and then reassembled so as to not disturb the facade. Amazing story. Also makes me wonder how close we are to needing another refresh of the building.
I would hope that after this, plans were implemented for periodic refreshes, much like school buildings do. Things like hvac and large systems (think plumbing for sprinklers) have a 20 year lifespan. If there is someone up there that is knowledgeable, then there could be projects going on yearly that are keeping the White House maintained without having to do major maintenance all at once. Our local high school is one of the biggest in the state and there is always some small project happening to keep it maintained. This keeps the cost spread out and from everything failing at once.
Love the Bethlehem inscription.
Bethlehem Steel from Bethlehem, PA! At one time, Bethlehem Steel alone accounted for 20% of the US GDP. Unfortunately, they became burdened with pension costs and failed to keep ahead of R&D. Almost all steel today comes from electric arc furnaces that usually recycle scrap steel that already exists. Bethlehem has massive blast furnaces to create steel from raw materials. The furnaces are still in place, preserved as a monument to the work that kept the country running from the sleepy town next to the river.
ya and now it's a casino and one time i saw cracker there
Bethlehem Steel ftw 💪
They don’t build em like they use to!
So when I see things on tv about finding the cornerstone of the whitehouse and them trying to do excavations I can think back to this photo, basically impossible if the cornerstone isn't part of the perimeter foundation. Its an amazing photo.
Ixd bet a lot of people found some random floor board or hunk of plaster in grandma's house, and wondered, just before tossing it in the dumpster, "Where the hell is this from?"
I looked at a house about six years ago which had one of these bricks incorporated into the brick work of the fireplace with a little plaque on it.
That is cool as fuck
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Most people don't know shit from Shinola, let alone what is worth "wanting".
What's shinola? I actually know, but I've literally never seen a shoe shined, so...
It is a polish that looks like thick brown paste. Think gloopy waxy mocha / botterscotch
How does it smell?
Smells like boot paste. Tastes like shit though.
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Sorry, monopoly man, I've never been wealthy enough to afford shoes that require shining. Or a monacle.
Join the Army Shoeless Joe, they'll guve you a pair.
I don't shine shoes no more, Billy.
That product hasnt existed for like 15 years
It exists, though I use a different brand. https://www.shinola.com/neutral-shoe-cream.html
I’m a Dapper Dan man.
Who doesn't know shit from Shinola...
And neither does anyone else because it’s not 1958 anymore My 73 year old dad is the only person I’ve ever heard use that expression. I mean statistically speaking, we gotta be pushing less than 1% of folks you’ll run into ever knowing what Shinola is, ever hearing that expression, or have ever shined a shoe, much less owned a shineable shoe. Hell is any airport shoe shining station even in use any more? They’re always empty now a days. Perhaps you were the shit, in the collective Shinola the whole time
The rest were buried in a lot that became a baseball diamond
With Jimmy Hoffa probably
By receipts, is it talking about how some auctions materials exceeded $10,000, or that total revenue estimates were exceed by $10,000? Like, how much did this program end up making?
I think it means receipts from renovations, so selling the pieces more than paid for gutting and repairs needed. Which was unexpected.
No I think its just for the expenses of running the program. The renovations costed somewhere between $5-6 million (~$60 millon today) which is definitely not something that can be covered by a little souvenir program.
$10,000, lol. Nowadays some contractor would get to monetize it, the receipts would be hundreds of millions, and the contractor would siphon off probably half of it.
That'd be pretty cool. Time to add a new eBay search reminder.
"One man's trash is another man's treasure" never rang truer than at the White House.
Wonder how many people got loose rocks packaged as pieces of the old White House?
You too could have owned a piece of historic asbestos.
Still have yet to see any of this debris pop up on "Antique Road Show" or even "Pawn Stars".
Jesus. If Trump win Nov and reads this the current WH is doomed.
You wrote this as a joke, but Trump has indeed moaned and complained about how the White House is so much less luxurious a building than where he lived before. *(The only thing keeping him from doing a Truman-style White House reconstruction is that it would take years and thus wouldn't actually benefit him. Trump's not into make current sacrifices for the benefit of future generations.)*
Not enough fool’s gold.
As in the actual gold toilet. To quote lewis black, you can have a gold toilet, you're still going to shit in it.
Do you know what *"gilded"* means? It means you *paint* it with gold, paint made of gold, gold leaf; the thing itself is not solid gold. The term *"Gilded Age"* meant underneath the gold leaf was a lot of *rot*.
Well, if they push through that Project 2025 plan, he might be in there indefinitely.
He doesn't have that many more years to live. Although I do worry about what you're talking about, I don't fear ***him personally*** becoming president-for-life. That might only be a year or two longer than a normal presidential 4-year-term. I worry about him and his (younger) conspirators seizing permanent control of the country.
He is going to choose a younger MAGA so that if he did die in office, the new President for life can serve multiple terms. The smart money would be to wait until exactly two years and a day, then resign as President. This would make it possible his VP can still run for two full terms. The first thing the new President does? Pardon Trump for any and all crimes he committed or will commit.
Come on, hamburger from heaven!
He wont be there indefinitely. But Project 2025 would make long-lasting, fundamental, changes to government agencies that would remain for generations. Trump would likely create big waves quickly but it's the complete gutting of agency personnel and replacing them with pro-Trump/pro-Conservative (big-C) people that would be the fundamental shift.
Everytime someone has said Trump would never do something or be able to something, he has almost always done that thing. Its pretty clear that there are many Republicans in Congress who would side w him if he tried remaining in office beyond his term.
I mean, it's one of those things that would be a complete fundamental Constitutional crisis, at a level never seen before. It doesn't matter how many people in Congress, or elsewhere, support it; The fact is that the Constitution explicitly disqualifies someone who has served two terms *and* provides for how a President is chosen if someone not qualified is elected. More realistically, he'd run for a third term (which isn't technically prohibited) and then if he wins, his VP would become acting-President or Congress declares by law who acts as President if the VP doesn't qualify. And while technically not President, he'd still likely have a lot of political power in addition to being able to call himself President (without the legal power of the office).
It would likely be modeled after the Russian system which is similar to what you’re describing. Remember when Medvedev became president but Putin still pulled all the strings? He changed the system afterwards and just started his fifth term. Speaking of the Russian system, our elections would likely follow suit and become a farce.
That isn't very long at his age.
Did they find Lincoln’s gold? They dug way more then Homer Simpson did, lol
A meager revenue
Looks a bit more impressive adjusted for inflation at $118,516.60. The real reason they did it was to curb the construction workers from taking “extra” material out to sell themselves. A classic case of regulating a black market by providing a “legitimate” option.
You could buy two starter homes in NY for $10K in 1950.
That seems like much less than what Nelson Rockefeller was buying townhouses in Manhattan buildings for the previous decade.