Tributes to White House East Wing pour in after demolition

WASHINGTON, DC - The nation bid a surprise farewell to the East Wing of the White House last month, with President Trump ordering it to be torn down, so a new ballroom can be built.

 The complex of offices, a movie theater and a walkway to the residence was often where tourists would enter the White House.

"You just feel American history just wrapping around you as you're walking through it," said Nikki Fried, who has visited the White House several times as an elected official and as chair of the Florida Democratic Party.

Dig deeper:

Since the early 1900s, the East Wing has served as the nation's front porch, of sorts.

"If you ever get numb to the excitement and the sort of reverence for the White House, then you shouldn't be there," said author Kate Andersen Brower, the author of "The Residence," a history of the White House staff.

At 12,000 sq. ft., the East Wing was the smallest branch of the White House, paling in comparison to the 40,000 sq. ft. West Wing.

"I don't think you can underestimate just the feeling of being somewhere that has so much history in it," said Heath Hardage Lee, who wrote, "The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon" a biography of Pat Nixon.

But it was also the most full of love. Holiday decorations, portraits of the first ladies, offices of their staff, and, indeed, a movie theater for the president.

"Betty Ford probably said it best," said Lee. "She said, 'The West Wing is the mind of the country and the East Wing is the Heart.'"

The backstory:

Without advance warning, on October 20th, President Trump ordered the East Wing torn down, to be replaced with a 90,000 sq. ft. ballroom, twice the size of the main mansion. The president says it's necessary to hold large functions.

"It's a shame that during the semi-quincentennial year in 2026, celebrating the 250th anniversary of our country, Americans aren't going to get to go through the White House and through and to see that part of the White House ever again," said Brower. 

In 1902, President Roosevelt ordered out the clutter and built two temporary extensions, which became permanent office wings.  In 1962, Jackie Kennedy gave a White House tour, to show off a restoration of the main mansion. 

"I think this house will always grow and should," said Kennedy. "It just seemed to me such a shame when we came here to find hardly anything of the past in the house."

The East Wing was birthed in 1902 when Teddy Roosevelt built an entryway for guests. It was the site of his daughter Alice's wedding. During World War II, another floor was added to shield construction of a presidential bunker for FDR. That was used on September 11th for Dick Cheney. Eleanor Roosevelt established offices there, which bloomed under Pat Nixon, according to her biographer Heath Lee. She added the offices of the calligrapher, the social secretary and the military aide.

"And then Roslyn Carter in 1977 is the one that really makes it official that this is the office of the First Lady," said Lee.

And it became a front porch of sorts for Americans.

"You are always greeted with the pictures of some of the First Ladies, and you're greeted, especially during holiday times, by music," said Fried.

Not only is the East Wing where White House tours began, but it's where most non-diplomatic visitors would go. Through her work in politics, Fried visited to honor Tom Brady and the Bucs, for bill signings and for Hanukkah celebrations.

"Being able to share that and share our culture with the American people is certainly one of my favorite times in the East Wing," said Fried.

Even for seasoned pros, like former Gov. Bob Martinez, the East Wing was a place to walk through when the work of the day piled up. Presidents themselves have used it as a getaway. 

"I tell you kind of you're in awe the first time," said Martinez, "You want to see so much, and you see nothing."

What's next:

So the book is now closed on a wing of the White House. Where will the First Lady's offices wind up?  What will become of the artifacts that were on display? When will its replacement space be open? And to whom? Where will visitors find a home in their house, the people's house? 

"It sends a really important message about our democracy," said Brower. "This is a space that belongs to every American." 

There will soon be a new wing of White House history. 

Washington, D.C.