FACT CHECK #BK-WAN5K

WHAT WE FOUND

President Harry S. Truman ordered a comprehensive dismantling and rebuilding of the White House interior between 1949 and 1952 2. Following reports that the mansion had become a structurally unsound firetrap 1 7, the building was completely gutted, leaving only the exterior stone shell 3 8. A new internal skeleton consisting of massive steel beams and concrete was installed to support the structure 4 6 8. During this $5.7 million renovation, Truman resided at Blair House 9.

SOURCES

1. 1 · nytimes.comNEWS
   Harry Truman's Extreme Home Makeover

   TIER A

2. 2 · en.wikipedia.orgWEB
   White House Reconstruction

   TIER B

3. 3 · whitehousehistory.orgWEB
   Mr. Truman's Renovation: Demolition

   TIER B

4. 4 · thehistoryreader.comWEB
   Truman's Renovation of the White House

   TIER B

5. 5 · trumanlibraryinstitute.orgWEB
   Saving the White House: Truman's Extreme Makeover

   TIER B

6. 6 · pbslearningmedia.orgWEB
   Inside Story | White House Renovations

   TIER B

7. 7 · threads.comWEB
   Fun Fact: President Harry S. Truman "gutted" the White ...

   TIER B

8. 8 · smithsonianmag.comWEB
   The White House is Mostly a Reconstruction of the Original

   TIER B

9. 9 · rarehistoricalphotos.comWEB
   When White House Had to Be Completely Gutted

   TIER B

THE READING