Virtual Tour -
Oval Office
The Oval Office
The Oval Office at American Village is a full-scale replica of The White House Oval Office. The decor reflects the Clinton-era presidency at the turn of the millennium (the year 2000).
Presidents decorate the office to suit their own personal tastes and needs. Neither President Eisenhower nor Carter changed the room as furnished by their predecessors. President Trump added new wallpaper with a classic motif of sea scrolls, leaves and medallions to reflect the flora and fauna of the Rose Garden. He also added portraits of Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. President Biden added a central portrait of FDR over the mantel and a baseball card of Satchel Paige near the Resolute Desk. He also added busts of Robert Kennedy and Cesar Chavez.
The Presidential desk is a reproduction of “The Resolute Desk”, a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. The plaque on the face of the desk tells its story. It first appeared in the Oval Office of President John F. Kennedy. While many have used the desk in their private study, it was also in the Oval Office of Presidents Carter, Reagan, Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama and Trump. The Resolute Desk is currently being used by President Biden.
A portrait of George Washington is always present in the Oval Office. The painting over the mantel here is a reproduction of an original by Rembrandt Peale done in 1853.
On the desk is a jar of jelly beans, a favorite of President Ronald Reagan. The Goelitz Candy Company delivered 3½ tons of “Jelly Bellies” to his 1981 Inauguration. President Harry Truman’s famous desk plate “The Buck Stops Here”, which expresses his view of the responsibility of the President, is also on the desk.
Located behind the desk is the ship model “Halifax”. This hand-crafted model took more than three years to construct. Most of our Navy veteran Presidents – Kennedy, Ford, Carter, and George H. W. Bush – have kept models of sailing ships in the Oval Office.
The room often features Frederic Remington bronzes, especially “The Bronco Buster”, a gift to President Theodore Roosevelt from his fellow soldiers in “The Rough Riders” with whom he served in the Spanish-American War.
The White House Oval Office
The West Wing where The White House Oval Office is located was built in 1902 during President Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. The first Oval Office was built in 1909 during the presidency of William Howard Taft. Painted green, it included a skylight that was later removed. The West Wing burned in 1929; only the fireplace mantel survives from that earlier era. To improve private access and light, President Franklin Roosevelt moved the room to its current location in 1934 and added the three French doors leading to the Rose Garden. The room’s architecture has changed little since except for the flooring.
Why is the President’s Office Oval?
Ever since John and Abigail Adams first moved into The White House in 1800, the building has contained three oval rooms; The Blue Room, The Diplomatic Reception Room, and The Yellow Oval Study. Yet, none of these ever served as the President’s Office. As an example, the famous Lincoln Bedroom (created by order of President Truman) was actually Lincoln’s office during The Civil War.
George Washington personally selected James Hoban to design The Executive Mansion. It is widely believed that Hoban’s design for the oval rooms was inspired by The President’s changes to The Robert Morris House. When George Washington was President, the capital was in Philadelphia, and he and Martha lived in the Robert Morris House. During that time, Washington made several alterations to the home. The most significant was the addition of a semi-circular window in the main parlor creating the “oval effect.”
