Paul Brandus presented a lecture on “Under This Roof: A History of the White House and the Presidency” at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan on February 16, 2017. He also presented his lecture at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan on February 15, 2017.

“Under This Roof” is a sensuous account of the history of both the home of the President, and the men and women who designed, inhabited, and decorated it.

Paul Brandus founded West Wing Reports® in 2009 and provides reports for television and radio outlets around the United States and overseas. He is also a contributing columnist for USA Today, MarketWatch (Dow Jones) and his work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, Real Clear Politics, National Review and The Week. In 2011, he won the Shorty Award for “Best Journalist on Twitter,” sponsored by the Knight Foundation.

The book “Under This Roof” is a result of the nine years that Brandus worked inside the White House as a reporter covering press briefings and a John Adams’ 1800 carving in the State Room (which he discussed).

As Brandus noted, the White House is much older than most people would think. In comparison, President John Adams moved into it in 1800, with London’s Buckingham Palace opening in 1837, Tokyo’s Japanese Imperial Palace in 1869, and Moscow’s Kremlin in 1918.

While covering the historic background of the building, he stated that George Washington, while helping to design the White House, is the only President to have never lived in it. Washington also picked the location of the White House. Construction took place from 1792-1800 and cost $230,000 to build.

Brandus highlighted several of the inhabitants, their customized additions, and numerous stories about their lives inside the White House. Some examples of the work include: Thomas Jefferson installed bathrooms and changed the main White House entrance to the North side; Dolly Madison saved the portrait of George Washington from British destruction of the White House during the War of 1812; John F. Kennedy installed the Situation Room in the White House; Pat Nixon initiated the lights being shown on the White House nightly which has remained in practice to this day; and Richard Nixon who installed the White House Briefing Room.

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