Awnings at the White House

Compiled by Juli Case

With all the interest in the U.S. for conserving energy and sustainability, do we know if awnings were ever on the White House?

Yes, awnings used to be a regular feature on the White House. Specifically, they provided shade on the South Portico area of the building. There were also often canopies, with and without sidewalls, and those have been seen more recently than awnings. Color schemes ranged from stripes to white. We’re not historians and so couldn’t determine exactly when or why awnings stopped being used on the White House, but they seem to have been more common before the construction of the Truman Balcony in the late 1940s.

SOURCE Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, +1 816 268 8200

SOURCE White House Museum, +1 816 268 8200

Juli Case is IFAI’s information and technical services manager.