Truman Balcony

The President's (Rather Controversial) Porch

In 1947, Harry Truman consulted with architects on the addition of a balcony off the Yellow Oval Room. A committee was appointed, and a controversy erupted that spilled over into the newspapers and editorial cartoons. President Truman maintained that a balcony would help balance the south face of the White House by breaking up the long verticals of the columns, and provide shade for the first floor portico without the awnings commonly used at the time, which tended to become dirty. Opponents argued that the tall columns were in keeping with the Federal style of architecture (and the Classical Greek style it was based on) and that adding a "porch" for the first family's leisure would ruin the look of the south side of the building.

In the end, Truman prevailed and there was general agreement that the new balcony, finished in 1948, was an improvement in both form and function. However, closer examination of the rest of the White House soon led architects and structural engineers to determine that the whole house was unsound, and so the Truman reconstruction project of 1948-1952 began, which completely rebuilt the interior of the White House.

Presidents today use the Truman Balcony to relax as well as to entertain, as it provides the best of all views the White House has to offer aside from the Sun Room directly above it.