President Garfield's White House Upgrades
On February 12, 1880, a wooden crate arrived at the White House containing a new contrivance which would make an immediate impact on the Rutherford B. Hayes administration: a Fairbanks & Company Improved Number Two Typewriter.
From that time on presidential letters began to appear in ragged little lines of type, instead of a clerks' fancy penmanship. A year later an experimental form of air-conditioning with an electric blower was installed in the sick room of mortally wounded James A. Garfield shot on July 2, 1881. The device forced air through a box with screens that were kept wet with cold ice water and cooled the president. In the month of his inauguration, Garfield had ordered a hydraulic elevator for the house, but the project was postponed during his illness for fear that the noise of the construction would outweigh the resulting convenience. The elevator was finally installed in the fall of 1881, after Chester A. Arthur succeeded Garfield.
Drawing of a hydraulic elevator similar to that installed in the White House.
You Might Also Like
-
PodcastThe History of Wine and the White House
Featuring Frederick J. Ryan, author of “Wine and the White House: A History" and member of the White House Historical Association’s National Council on White House History
-
PodcastAmerica’s Irish Roots
Featuring Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States
-
PodcastWashington National Cathedral & the White House
Featuring Very Reverend Randolph Hollerith and Reverend Canon Jan Naylor Cope
-
-
PodcastBlair House: The President’s Guest House
Featuring The Honorable Capricia Marshall, Ambassador Stuart Holliday, and Matthew Wendel
-
CollectionThe Carter White House 1977 - 1981
On January 20, 1977, Jimmy Carter was inaugurated as the thirty-ninth president of the United States. During his time in the White House (1977–81), President Carter made many decisions guided by his fundamental commitment to peace and democratic values, emphasizing human and civil rights above all else. Putting these ideals into practice, President Carter negotiated the Camp David Accords, secured the release of Am
-
-
CollectionThe 2024 White House Christmas Ornament
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition for millions of American families. In this collection, explore the history behind our 2024 design and learn more about President Jimmy Carter. Buy the
-
-
-
-
CollectionThe 2022 White House Christmas Ornament
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament. These unique collectibles — honoring individual presidents or specific White House anniversaries — have become part of the holiday tradition for millions of American families. In this collection, explore the history behind our 2022 design and learn more about President Richard Nixon. Buy the
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
