Description
A souvenir candlestick made from longleaf pine removed from the roof of the White House during the 1927 renovation.
Base measures 4.25 inches, height is 7.25 inches. Light wear from handling, with visible longleaf pine grain throughout. Label affixed to the bottom panel, with details about the provenance and craftsmanship. This candlestick was produced in 1929 by the National Lumber Manufacturers Association, which purchased the largest quantity of the historic roof timbers at auction in March 1928, for $4.00 per foot. The original pine roof was laid in 1816 and remained in place for 112 years before being replaced. The salvaged lumber was used for souvenir gavels, plaques, furniture, and related presentation pieces, with the NLMA distributing candlesticks to promote the use of wood as a building material.
(Wayne Smith, White House, p. 40-43)
A unique piece of White House history.
The White House roof was reconstructed in 1927, following a $375,000 congressional appropriation for the rebuilding of the roof, attic, and ceilings of the second story. The work began on March 14, 1927, with a temporary wooden roof erected over the Executive Mansion to protect the interior while the old roof structure was removed. The original wooden trusses had been installed during the reconstruction of the White House after the British burning of Washington in 1814 and had supported the roof for 112 years. Although many of the old timbers remained in sound condition, the attic had been overloaded for storage, and portions of the truss system showed structural failure, deflection, and insect damage. Salvaged sections of the historic longleaf pine were later sold and repurposed into souvenirs. (White House Timber, 1929)
