Harry S. Truman Little White House
|
Little White House
|
|
 |
|
 
|
|
| Location | Naval Station Key West, Florida United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 24°33′21″N 81°48′28″W / 24.55583°N 81.80778°WCoordinates: 24°33′21″N 81°48′28″W / 24.55583°N 81.80778°W |
| Built | 1890 |
| Architect | Scott, McDermott & Higgs; U.S. Navy |
| NRHP Reference # | |
| Added to NRHP | February 12, 1974 |
The Harry S. Truman Little White House in Key West, Florida was the winter White House for President Harry S Truman for 175 days during 11 visits. The house is located in the Truman Annex neighborhood of Old Town, Key West.
The house was originally waterfront when it was built in 1890 as the first officer's quarters on the submarine base naval station. The house was designed in 1889 by Scott, McDermott & Higgs, a local architectural firm. The wooden duplex contained Quarters A for the base commandant and Quarters B for the paymaster.
In 1911 the home was converted into a single-family dwelling to house the base commandant and additional land was filled in front of the house. The waterfront view was eventually blocked by a new building at the station.
The first President to visit the site was William Howard Taft in December 1912. He arrived by Flagler's Overseas Railroad and sailed to Panama to inspect the canal then under construction. During World War I, Thomas Edison resided in the house while donating his service to the war effort. He perfected 41 underwater weapons during his six month stay. The house remained command headquarters through World War II.
In November 1946, President Harry S. Truman had finished 19 months in office, but was physically exhausted. His doctor, Wallace Graham, ordered a warm vacation. Truman arrived in November 1946. As he was leaving, he promised to return whenever he felt the need for rest. His second vacation came in March 1947. This set the pattern for additional visits every November–December and every February–March. Changing technology allowed the President to communicate with multiple political or world leaders at one time and he could summon staff to Key West for a meeting in three hours flight from Washington. Most importantly, Truman realized that where the President was, the White House was. Documents issued from the Little White House read "The White House, US Naval Station, Key West, Florida." Truman spent 175 days of his presidency at the Little White House.
...
Wikipedia