Travel – The White House (Part Two)

Posted on February 19, 2015 by barbara

In honor of President’s Day, this post is about the White House (previously known as the President’s House) which has been the official residence of every President of the United States since 1800. Part One of the three part series on the White House discussed the history and the construction of the White House. Part Two will give a tour of the various rooms of the State Floor of the White Floor, such as the East Room and Blue Room. In Part Three I will continue with a tour of the second floor of the White House where the famous Lincoln Bedroom is located and the Oval Office which is located in the West Wing of the White House and is the official office of the President.

The White House was constructed between 1792 and 1800 in the newly established Federal City (later known as Washington, D.C.) which was being master planned by Pierre Charles L’Enfant. The White House is currently a three story building with two basements. From the north side it appears as if the building has only two floors because the ground floor is hidden by a parapet and a raised former carriage ramp. The North Portico was added in 1830 and it blends perfectly with the Federal Style of the building, this is considered the main entrance to the White House. From the south side all three floors are exposed and the façade has a distinctive Palladian style of architecture with the South Portico which is a bow shaped section that has a double staircase leading from the ground floor to a loggia on the State floor level with the Truman Balcony above on the second floor.

The White House is not only the official residence of every President since John Adams but it is also where the executive offices of the President of the United States. Over the years, the executive offices have been moved into the West Wing of the White House allowing the President and his family to live “privately” in the rooms on the second and third floors while the main floor remains a series of State Rooms. The State Rooms of the White House hold a collection of antique or reproduction furniture, historic paintings and decorative objects of art that have been acquired over the years. These are the rooms that visitors will see on an official tour of the White House which are led by informed guides that explain the history of the building and the various occupants that have lived there throughout the years including the current and previous presidential administrations. (For more information on the history of the White House, please click on the link to the Travel post White House – Part One)

A tour of the White House

The White House has six different levels: the Ground Floor, the State Floor which has the official State Rooms, the Second Floor which is considered the President’s private residence, the Third Floor which includes guest bedrooms and the solarium and two levels of basement rooms. Two colonnades on either side of the main building lead to the West and East Wings. In this post I will be discussing the State Rooms on the State Floor of the White House, some of the rooms on the Second Floor and a brief description of the West Wing which includes the Oval Office.

State Floor of the White House

Entrance Hall –

The Entrance Hall is considered the main entrance into the White House and is directly accessed through the North Portico, although visitors taking a White House tour usually enter on the ground floor. The Entrance Hall is a large formal foyer which measures 31 feet by 44 feet and is tiled with pink and white marble and is divided from the Cross Hall by a series of column. The room is furnished with several pieces of early 19^th century gilded Empire style furniture, a pair of carved mahogany French settees and a French pier table which was originally purchased by President Monroe in 1917. Hung on the wall of the Entrance Hall are two presidential portraits, one of George H.W. Bush by Herbert E. Abrams and the other one is of John F. Kennedy by Aaron Shikler. (Visitors on the White House tour will note that several portrait paintings of former Presidents and First Ladies can be seen throughout the White House and will be noted in the appropriate rooms described in this post)

The Grand Staircase is positioned directly across from the Green Room and during the extensive renovation of the White House in 1948-52 the stairway was enlarged and altered to open into the Entrance Hall. The stairway has a beautiful English cut-glass chandelier and several presidential portraits hang on the walls – Harry Truman by Greta Kempton, Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon by J Anthony Wills, Herbert Hoover by Elmer W. Greene and Warren Harding by Bror Kronstrand. The Grand Staircase is often seen on television during formal ceremonial occasions such as State Dinners. Prior to the dinner, the President has a small gathering for the guests of honor on the second floor Yellow Oval Room and then they will descend the stairs and proceed into the East Room where the other guests are gathered.

Cross Hall –

The Cross Hall is located adjacent to the Entrance Hall and is basically a long open hallway which measures 18 feet by 80 feet. The floor is tiled in gray marble and covered with a long red carpet trimmed with a gold border of laurel leaves and five-pointed stars. The Cross Hall has several gilded chairs and settees upholstered in red fabric and set and these are set against the walls of the hallway. This area of the White House is often seen on television when the President makes official announcements and speeches to the nation.

East Room –

The East Room of the White House is a large room, 80 feet by 37 feet with a 22 feet high ceiling, where many official ceremonies, receptions, concerts and State Dinners have taken place throughout the years. The room has been used by First Lady Abigail Adams to hang the laundry, Meriwether Lewis (the private Secretary of President Thomas Jefferson and leader of famous Lewis and Clark Expedition) used a portion of the room as his bedroom and President James Madison used the room for cabinet meetings. Hanging in the East Room is the portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart which was rescued in 1814 when the British set fire to the White House during the War of 1812 and was returned later when the building was rebuilt after the war. Also in this room hangs a portrait of Martha Washington by Eliphant Frazer Andrews.

In 1829, President Andrew Jackson finally completed and decorated the East Room with 24 mahogany armchairs and 4 sofas which were originally purchased by President James Monroe, currently they are upholstered in blue damask silk. The room was finished with a plaster frieze and three medallions from which three large cut-glass chandeliers were hung, later these were moved to the State Dining Room. The White House underwent a complete reconstruction during the Truman administration when it was determined that the building was structurally damaged and the rooms of the White House were completely rebuilt and redecorated in 1948 to 1952. Later, during the Kennedy administration, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy had the White House extensively renovated, decorated and refurbished but very few changes were made to the East Room. The floor, wall paneling and plaster work was renovated during the Reagan administration, new carpets were designed and installed during the Clinton administration and the East Room was repainted in a soft cream color and new draperies were installed during the Bush administration.

The East Room of the White House has been used for many historical and important events; here is a list of some of those:

Eight Presidents that have died while in office have been laid in state in the East Room; William Harrison in 1841, Zachary Taylor in 1850, Abraham Lincoln in 1865, William McKinley in 1901, Warren Harding in 1923, Franklin Roosevelt in 1945 and John Kennedy in 1963.
There have been several weddings of President’s daughter celebrated in the East Room; Elizabeth (daughter of John Tyler) married William Waller in 1842, Nellie Grant (daughter of Ulysses Grant) married Algernon Sartois in 1875, Alice (daughter of Theodore Roosevelt) married Nicholas Longworth in 1906, Jessie (daughter of Woodrow Wilson) married Francis Sayre in 1913 and Lynda Bird (daughter of Lyndon Johnson married Chuck Robb in 1967.
President Dwight Eisenhower took the presidential oath of office in the East Room on January 20, 1957. The U.S. Constitution requires the oath to be administered at exactly noon on January 20 and in 1957 the date fell on a Sunday and Eisenhower decided to take the oath privately and the following day a public inauguration was held.

Green Room –

The Green Room is located next to the East Room; the room is approximately 28 feet by 22 feet and can be entered from the Cross Hall, the East Room, the Blue Room and the South Portico. The room was originally intended to be a small dining room and is currently used today for small receptions, formal teas and one of the rooms that that cocktails are served to guests before a State Dinner.

The room has traditionally been decorated in shades of green and throughout the years it has contained French Empire furnishings purchased by President James Madison, then heavily decorated with Victorian furniture and decorative items during the 1900s and eventually replaced with much simpler Colonial Revival furnishings. After the Kennedy restoration, the Green Room was redecorated in the Federal Style with antique and historical pieces, the walls were covered with a moss green silk and the carpet was changed to a softer neoclassical one in shades of taupe, sage green and pink. During the Nixon administration the room was renovated with period crown molding and ceiling medallions and decorated with new draperies in striped cream, green and coral silk satin, gilded cornices were installed above the windows to add height to the room and they were topped with hand-carved gilded American eagles. Today the room is decorated with a darker shade of silk moiré wallpaper, the draperies were replaced with ones of a similar style in darker colors, the carpet was also changed and the current Duncan Phyfe sofa and chairs are upholstered in a rich coral color.

Blue Room –

The Blue Room is located between the Green and the Red Rooms and is used for formal receiving lines, receptions and occasionally for smaller intimate dinners. The oval shaped room is approximately 30 feet by 40 feet and has six doors that access the Cross Hall, the Green Room, the Red Room and the South Portico. The original design of the White House had the Blue Room as the south entrance hall but during the Truman administration extensive reconstruction the Truman Balcony was built onto the second floor and it now provides shade to the South Portico and the interior of the Blue Room. The Blue Room has the distinction of being the setting for the only wedding of a United States President during their term in office; Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the Blue Room on June 2, 1886.

The Blue Room is traditionally decorated in shades of blue, and like the other State Rooms in the White House, it has been redecorated and renovated several times throughout the years. After the Kennedy restoration, the Blue Room was furnished in the French Empire style with original gilded furniture and a marble-top table which was originally purchased during the Monroe administration. The French chandelier made of gilded wood and cut glass returned to the White House during the restoration and it had previously hung in the President’s Dining Room on the second floor. Two items of note are the French Empire style mantel clock by Deniere et Matelin and hung above the sofa on the west wall of the room is a presidential portrait of John Tyler by George Peter Alexander Healy.

Currently the Blue Room has beautiful sapphire blue fabric used for the draperies and the furniture upholstery which were done during the Clinton administration. The walls are hung with pale yellow wallpaper imprinted with golden medallions and the upper border resembles a faux blue fabric drapery swag. During the holiday season the Blue Room chandelier is removed to make room for the massive official White House Christmas Tree which is displayed annually with ever-changing themed ornaments.

Red Room –

The Red Room of the White House is located next to the Blue Room and the room has functioned as a parlor, a music room and a room for small dinner parties; currently it is used as a reception room. The room is approximately 28 feet by 22 feet and there are six doors that lead to the Cross Hall, the Blue Room, the State Dining Room and the South Portico. During the Grant administration the Red Room was used as a family living room and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt used the room for her meetings with women reporters, she was the first First Lady to hold regular press conferences.

Like most of the rooms on the State Floor of the White House, the Red Room has undergone many decorative changes during the previous administrations. In 1902, the Theodore Roosevelt administration had the 1819 Italian marble mantel from the State Dining Room moved to the Red Room (the second one was moved into the Green Room) During the Truman extensive reconstruction of the White Room, the room was completely dismantled and renovated with red silk damask wallpaper on the walls. One item of note in the Red Room is the Louis XVI style mantel clock which was a gift to the United States from the President of France when the White House reconstruction project was completed.

During the Kennedy administration restoration of the White House, many antiques were acquired and the Red Room was one of the first rooms to be renovated in an American Empire style. The room was decorated with red silk upholstered sofas and chairs, new red silk window draperies, a new rug in shades of red, cream and sage green and a 1805 French chandelier made of gilded wood also hangs from the center of the room. The room was also redecorated during the Nixon and Clinton administrations. Currently the walls, draperies and upholstery is a darker shade of red with distinctive gold accents and the most recent addition to the room is a Charles-Honore Lannuier tall secretary desk that was a gift to the White House during its two hundredth anniversary celebration in 2000.

State Dining Room –

The State Dining Room is located next to the Red Room on the State Floor of the White House and it is used as a reception room and the room can accommodate up to 140 guests for luncheon or small dinner parties. In previous administrations the room has been used as an office, library and cabinet meeting room. When in the interior of the White House was renovated in 1902 and the former grand stairway was removed from the west end the State Dining Room was expanded to the current size and the room dimensions are approximately 48 feet by 36 feet.

The State Dining Room has a very long dining table used with William & Mary style armchairs and several Queen Anne style side chairs, later during the Truman reconstruction the chairs were replaced with Chippendale style side chairs. Hang from the ceiling is a large silver-plated chandelier and wall sconces; they were later given a gilded appearance during the Kennedy restoration. Also displayed in the room are two large mahogany console tables which are painted ivory and features carved eagle supports. One item of note is the original 1902 fireplace mantel which was restored during the Kennedy restoration and bears a very special inscription. The inscription was taken from a letter President John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail back in 1800 during his first few days of living in the White House, it reads “I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this House, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men rule under this roof.” Known as the Adam’s blessing, the inscription was carved into the State Dining Room mantel by President Franklin Roosevelt. Above the mantel hangs a portrait of Abraham Lincoln by George P.A. Healy which was formerly severely damaged but now fully restored.

White House - inscription by John Adams 1

Currently the State Dining Room walls are painted a stone color and the ceiling is painted a soft white color to give the appearance of plaster. The room is furnished with the original long dining table and Queen Anne style chairs which are reupholstered in gold silk damask, new draperies in a colonial Revival floral print were installed at the windows and a rug with a floral medallion pattern covered the floor. Another item of note that is frequently used in the State Dining Room on the long dining table is a beautiful mirrored centerpiece with seven sections that measures over 14 feet in length. During formal dinners and afternoon luncheons the room is set with Chiavari chairs placed around smaller round tables covered with fine linens, glassware, silver and a variety of White House china can be used for the various events.

This concludes the tour of the State Floor of the White House. For more information please click on the other two posts of the three part series on the White House. In Part One of the series I discussed the history and the construction of the White House. Part Three continues with a tour of the second floor of the White House where the famous Lincoln Bedroom is located and the Oval Office which is located in the West Wing of the White House and is the official office of the President.

Travel – The White House (Part One)

Posted on February 18, 2015 by barbara

In honor of President’s Day, this post is about the White House which is located at the famous address of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. The White House has been the executive offices and the official residence of every President of the United States since 1800, George Washington never lived in the White House and John Adams was the first president to occupy the residence. Part One of series will discuss the history and the building’s design and architecture. Part Two will give a tour of the White House and detailed information about the various rooms, such as the Oval Office, the Red Room and the Blue Room. Part Three will give a tour of some of the rooms on the second floor of the White House where the famous Lincoln Bedroom is located. I will also discuss the Oval Office which is located in the West Wing of the White House and is the official office of the President.

The history of the White House

During the first months of his term in office George Washington, the first President of the newly formed United States of America, lived in two different houses located in New York City, NY from 1789 to 1790. In December 1790, the national capital moved temporarily to Philadelphia, PA while the new Federal City (later to be known as Washington, D.C.) was being built. Washington lived and worked in a house on Market St. for the remainder of his first term and also for his second term. When Washington surprisingly decided not to seek reelection he happily retired to his Mount Vernon home in Virginia. John Adams, the second elected U.S. President, moved into the Market Street house in Philadelphia until November 1800 when he moved into the newly built President’s House (later to be known as the White House) which was located in the nation’s new capital.

The White House was one of the most prominent buildings in the newly established national capital which was being designed by Pierre Charles L’Enfant. In 1792, a commission had been formed to determine the best design for the new President’s House and nine proposals were received from prominent architects, including Thomas Jefferson who submitted his own design anonymously. The final design selected was by an architect named James Hoban but unfortunately his original drawings from the competition no longer exist. The cornerstone was laid on October 13, 1792 and construction quickly started on the house using a work force of mostly African-American laborers. The exterior of the grand and elegant mansion was designed in the neo-classical Federal style and at the time that it was completed it was the largest residence in the United States. Building supply shortages caused many alterations to the original plan and the construction took eight years to complete. The sandstone walls, although sturdy proved to be very porous material and they were whitewashed with a mixture of lime, rice glue, casein and lead that gave the mansion its white appearance and eventually its famous name.

When President Thomas Jefferson took office and came to live in the White House in 1801, the interior of the house was still not finished. He quickly set about having improvements done on the house, such as indoor “water closets” (earlier version of toilets) and he built horse stables and servant quarters which were concealed by the East and West Colonnades. In keeping with Jefferson’s inquisitive mind and various interests, he created a simple museum in the Entrance Hall of the White House containing plant and animal specimens and Indian artifacts and in the Dining Room he had a revolving cabinet built, these features were very similar to the way Jefferson lived in his beloved Monticello. During Jefferson’s two terms in office he brought a sense of sophistication to the White House and he entertained frequently with lavish multi-course dinners served with the fine French wines.

At the time of President James Madison, the United States was at war once again with Britain. During the War of 1812, the famous story goes that First Lady Dolly Madison quickly gathered important historic documents and the massive painting of President George Washington before escaping as British troops came marching into Washington, D.C. The end result was that the British set fire to many buildings within the nation’s capital and the White House was burned down leaving the interior rooms completely destroyed by the fire and only the exterior walls left standing. After the war, the original architect of the White House, James Hoban, returned to supervise the reconstruction. The restoration was completed in 1817 and at that time, President James Monroe had the interior furnished in a grand and regal style.

Throughout the different presidential administrations over the following years, minor architectural and interior decorative changes were made to the White House. In 1824 the South Portico was added and in 1829 the North Portico was added to the White House. Additional changes followed in 1835 when interior running water and central heating were installed. During the time of President Ulysses S. Grant, the interior decorations of the White House reflected the cluttered Victorian style, Tiffany glass windows and gaslight fixtures were added and eventually replaced by electric lights in 1891.

At various times during the history of the White House, major expansions have been proposed but never happened until the time of President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1902, Roosevelt had removed all the previous garish Victorian décor and returned the White House to the original interior design in Federal style with some Georgian elements. The first West Wing was built as an addition to the White House and for the first time this allowed a separate set of offices for the presidential staff and as a result the President and his family were given more private rooms on the second floor. In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson had part of the attic renovated to include some additional guest rooms. Ten years later, during the time of President Calvin Coolidge, in 1917 a heavy rain storm caused severe damage to the roof of the White House. The roof and the attic were restored and the third floor was re-enforced with steel beams. In 1948, President Harry Truman added the much debated balcony to the second floor of the South Portico. Despite the initial controversy that the balcony was not architecturally pleasing to the appearance of the White House it has since become a favorite area for the Presidents and their family to relax and enjoy some private time or intimate entertaining.

All of the renovations and redecoration of the White House over the previous years actually left the White House in a extremely weakened condition. There is a famous story that shortly after the completion of the South Portico balcony in 1948 the piano of President Harry Truman’s daughter, Margaret, almost fell through the second floor. This prompted a complete assessment of the building and it was found to be structurally unsafe and as a result the Truman family moved across the street into Blair House while the White House interior was completely demolished leaving only the outer walls intact. Over the next three years the interior originally made with wooden beams that were now severely rotted were replaced and the floors were constructed using concrete and steel beams. The reconstruction included many modifications, such as additional bathrooms for each of the bedrooms and two additional basements were also built to provide more offices, storage and a bomb shelter (remember World War II had recently ended and the security of the nation and the safety of the President were top priorities). The grand staircase was also repositioned from the Cross Hall to Entrance Hall; visitors will recognize this area of the White House from the news coverage of the President and First Lady ceremoniously descending the staircase from the private second floor with the various visiting heads of states to begin Official Ceremonies and State Dinners. The ever practical Midwestern President Truman had the original timber beams made into wood paneling for the China Room, Map Room, Vermeil Room and Library of the newly reconstructed White House.

Perhaps the presidential administration that has changed the interior design and furnishings of the White House most significantly was during the time of President John Kennedy. Over the preceding years, much of the White House had become a mix of contrasting styles of antiques and furniture from several different decades and there was no cohesive decorating plan. Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, who was known for her impeccable sense of refined decorating style, was appalled at the condition of State Rooms of the White House. She put careful thought into preserving the history of the White House and as a result of this massive project the White House Historical Association was created to aid in the preservation and restoration of the formal State Rooms.

The first step in this ambitious plan of restoring the White House was to raise money to finance the project. This was accomplished with the first comprehensive White House Guidebook being written and printed under the direction of Mrs. Kennedy and the first White House curator, Lorraine Waxman Pearce, and the guidebooks were sold to the public to help finance the project. Next, Mrs. Kennedy scoured the large White House storage facilities to see what furnishings and decorations were available, some great pieces were found hidden there and these items were cleaned and refurbished. Next, Mrs. Kennedy looked into the Smithsonian Art Museums for paintings and decorative items that could be used in decorating the White House; this proved to be a great resource and numerous items were loaned for the project. Then, Henry DuPont of the renowned Winterthur Museum was enlisted to assist Mrs. Kennedy in collecting artifacts and furnishings that had previously been used in the White House. This was a lengthy and tedious process but soon more hidden treasures were found and/or donated. Also Mrs. Kennedy used many of her private social connections from wealthy philanthropists to fund the project.

In general, Mrs. Kennedy selected different periods in the early history of the United States and the World. The themes selected were: The Green Room had a Federal style, the Blue Room had a French Empire style, the Red Room had an American Empire style, the Yellow Oval Room on the second floor had a Louis XVI style and the President’s Study (later known as the Treaty Room had a Victorian style. The rooms were furnished with appropriate antique period furniture and decorative fabric and room trim was based on period documents and reproduced for the different rooms. The Diplomatic Reception Room has an interesting story of an 1834 “Vue de l’Amerique Nord” wallpaper which was acquired from a house that was going to be demolished, it was salvaged and then sold to the White House.

Blue Room - before Kennedy restoration - Truman admin.

Red Room - before the Kennedy restoration - Truman admin.

Red Room - after the Kennedy restoration

To promote the restoration project and gain public approval for the project, Mrs. Kennedy enlisted the help of Life magazine and an article appeared in the September 1961 issue. Then, when the restoration was completed, Mrs. Kennedy appeared on February 14, 1962 in a special CBS program in which she gave a guided tour of the White House; President Kennedy also made a brief appearance on the program.

Eventually the Committee for the Preservation of the White House was formed in 1964. Future renovation and changes to the White House State Rooms or the surrounding grounds required approval from the committee. Here is a list of some of those:

President Lyndon Johnson – The Children’s Garden was added to the White House grounds
President Richard Nixon – The indoor swimming pool was converted into a new Press Briefing Room and a one-lane bowling alley was built in the basement of the White House.
President Gerald Ford – An outdoor swimming pool was added to the White House grounds.
President George H. W. Bush – The White House exterior was extensively refurbished, 40 layers of paint were removed and the sandstone exterior walls were repaired and then repainted.
President Bill Clinton – In preparation of the 200^th anniversary of the White House, many of the State Rooms were renovated and redecorated. The White House also implemented a “Green Project” to reduce energy consumption and improved environment opportunities to use renewable resources.
President George W. Bush – The Situation Room (originally added to the White House by President Kennedy) was expanded and updated with the latest technology available.
President Barrack Obama – In 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama had an organic vegetable garden planted. In 2013 solar panels were installed on the roof of the White House which were used to power the president’s private living quarters.

For additional information and a detailed tour of the White House including the various State Rooms, such as the Oval Office, the Red Room and the Blue Room, please click on the link to the White House – Part Two. White House – Part Three will give a tour of some of the rooms on the second floor of the White House where the famous Lincoln Bedroom is located and I will also discuss the Oval Office which is located in the West Wing of the White House and is the official office of the President.

For information about the two additional presidential landmarks located in Washington, D.C. which were featured this month in honor of resident’s Day, please click on the links to the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

Travel – The Lincoln Memorial

Posted on February 12, 2015 by barbara

In honor of President’s Day this month I will be writing several Travel posts about several historical landmarks located in Washington, D.C. – the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the White House. Two of the memorials are dedicated to former United States Presidents and the third has been the home of every United States President since John Adams.

The Lincoln Memorial is a national monument built to honor President Abraham Lincoln, the 16^th President of the United States, and it is located in Washington, D.C. at the west end of the National Mall. Shortly after Lincoln’s assassination in 1865 plans started for a permanent national memorial. In 1867, Congress passed a bill to create a commission to erect a monument and preliminary plans were drawn but the project was not able to raise the funds required to build and several years passed with nothing accomplished.

From 1901 to 1908, five additional bills were proposed in Congress but failed to pass. Then, in late 1910, a sixth attempt was successful and a bill passed. The next year, a new Lincoln Memorial Commission was formed and by 1913 Congress approved the Commission’s recommendations for a location and a memorial design. The site selected was located overlooking the Potomac River in an area known as West Potomac Park. The architect chosen for the building was Henry Bacon and the sculptor selected for creating the statue of Lincoln was Daniel Chester French and the painter chosen for the interior murals was Jules Guerin. On February 12, 1914 ground was officially broken to start construction, the date was significant because it marks the annual celebration of Lincoln’s birthday. When the building was completed eight years later, there was a memorial dedication on May 30, 1922 and in attendance on that day was Lincoln’s only surviving son, 79 year old Robert Todd Lincoln.

Lincoln Memorial - statue under construction

The building is designed in the form of a classic Greek temple, the building measures 190 feet by 119 feet and is 99 feet tall. Special attention was given to certain symbolic details of the building, such as the 36 fluted Doric columns which represent the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death. Each column stands 44 feet tall and measures 7.5 feet in diameter which are slightly angled toward the building. Inscribed on the frieze located on the upper portion of the building are the names of the 36 states and the dates that each entered the Union, in between each state name are a bas-relief double wreath medallion. Then on the cornice above at the 48 states in the Union at the time of the memorial’s dedication with a carved scroll alternating with lion heads. At the top is a garland, ribbons, palm leaves and eagles. The entire building is set on a concrete foundation which measures 44 to 66 feet in depth and then enclosed with a 187 feet by 257 feet rectangular granite retaining wall which measures 14 feet high. The Lincoln Memorial is entered on the east side of the building with steps beginning at the edge of the Reflecting Pool. Other Washington D.C. landmarks are within easy walking distance, such as the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and National World War II Memorial.

The interior of the building is divided into three sections by two rows of Ionic columns, four in each row and they measure 50 feet tall and 5.5 feet in diameter. The North section has an inscription of Lincoln’s second inaugural speech and the south section has the complete Gettysburg Address. Above each of the inscriptions is a 60 foot by 12 foot murals which depict principles important in Lincoln’s life, the north wall has Unity, Fraternity and Charity and the south wall has Freedom, Liberty, Immortality, Justice and Law.

Lincoln Memorial - Second Inaugural Address

Lincoln Memorial - Gettysburg Address engraving

The ceiling of the memorial was designed to allow light into the interior and this was beautifully achieved with a pattern of bronze beams decorated with laurel and oak leaves, panels of thin marble treated with paraffin wax was used to create a translucency. Additional artificial lighting was required to light the large Lincoln statue properly and this was achieved in 1929 when specially designed louvered lighting was added. The memorial has remained unchanged until the mid-1970s when an elevator was added to accommodate handicapped visitors.

The main feature of the memorial is the large statue of the seated figure of President Abraham Lincoln which is placed in the center section. Under the supervision of the sculptor, Daniel Chester French, the statue was carved from Georgia white marble by the Puccirilli Brothers and it took four years to complete. The statue is 19 feet tall measuring from head to foot, 19 feet wide and weighs 175 tons. The statue sits on a pedestal of Tennessee marble which stands 10 feet high, 16 feet wide and 17 feet in depth which sits on another platform of Tennessee marble that is 34.5 feet long, 28 feet wide and 6.5 inches high. On the wall behind the statue there is an engraving which reads, “In this temple as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever”.

The Lincoln Memorial is seen by approximately 3 million visitors every year, it is always open to the public and free of charge, the Memorial is currently under the administration of the National Parks Service. On October 15, 1966 the Memorial was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Lincoln Memorial Trivia

If one looks closely, there are many symbolic features of the memorial, such as the 36 columns represent the 36 states of the United States at the time of Lincoln’s death in 1865.
When the monument was completed in May 1922, the United States had increased in size to include 12 more states, to reflect this the names of all 48 states were carved on the upper portion of the wall on the outside of the monument. After the admission of Alaska and Hawaii to the United States, a plaque was added to the monument with the names of the two new states.
The memorial has 58 steps, 56 steps represent Lincoln’s age at the time of his assassination and the remaining 2 steps represent the number of terms that Lincoln served as the President of the United States.
There have been many interpretations as to the different features of the Lincoln statue displayed in the Lincoln Memorial and one those is the position of Lincoln’s hands. The statue’s sculptor, Daniel Chester French had a deaf son so he was familiar with the American Sign Language, so it has been speculated that he carved the left hand to form an “A” and the right hand to form an “L” thus representing the president’s initials. Unfortunately, there is no documented proof that this was French’s original intention.
An image of the Lincoln Memorial can be seen on both the US penny and the US five dollar bill.

The Lincoln Memorial was the sight of many historical events:

August 28, 1963 – Martin Luther King JR. made his famous civil rights speech, “I Have a Dream” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In 2003, on the 40^th anniversary of the event, an engraved plaque was placed on the eighteenth step located below the Lincoln statue and on the exact spot where King delivered his speech.

Lincoln Memorial - MLK - I have a dream speach

Lincoln Memorial - MLK I have a dream plaque

April 9, 1939 – Previously the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) had refused permission for Marian Anderson (an African-American classical singer) to sing at Constitution Hall because at the time Washington D.C. was a segregated city. As a result, thousands of DAR members were outraged by the injustice and resigned their memberships in protest. One of those members was the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and she went on to arrange for Marian Anderson to perform the concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The event was attended by an audience of more than 75,000 people of all races and also broadcast to a radio audience of millions.

January 18, 2009 – Two days before President Barack Obama inauguration as the 44^th President of the United States a concert was held on the steps of the memorial, it was officially called the “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial”. An estimated crowd of over 400,000 people converge on the area surrounding the National Mall in Washington D.C. The concert featured performances by musical acts such as Jon Bon Jovi, Garth Brooks, Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Stevie Wonder.

For additional Abraham Lincoln sites and landmarks in other parts of the United States, please click on the link to New Salem, IL for information about where Lincoln lived during his early adult years and Springfield, IL Part One for information about the Lincoln Presidential Library and Springfield, IL Part Two for information about Lincoln’s Home, Law Offices and the Lincoln Tomb which is his final resting place.

Travel – Hampton Court (Part Three)

Posted on January 13, 2015 by barbara

Hampton Court Palace is sometimes considered to be two palaces combined to form one large royal estate. The original section is a Gothic style palace built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey during the Tudor period. King Henry VIII later claimed the palace for his own use after the Cardinal had fallen out of favor and the King went on to create a grand residence truly fit for royalty. Several centuries later King William III and Queen Mary II, who ruled England jointly during the Stuart period, completely renovated Hampton Court and built two Baroque style additions creating the King and Queen’s State Apartment.

In this post, Part Three, of the three part series I will explore the Stuart side of Hampton Court with suggestions for the things to see and do when planning a visit to the palace. Previously, In Part Two, I gave a detailed tour of the Tudor side of Hampton Court and in Part One I discussed the building of Hampton Court and its history throughout the centuries.

A tour of Hampton Court

Most visitors enter Hampton Court from the Main Entrance on the west side from the parking lot or by walking a short distance from the Hampton Court Railway Station. After arriving, visitors then proceed into the palace over a short bridge by walking through the Great Gatehouse coming out into the Base Court. Visitors continue on the tour, passing through the Ann Boleyn Gatehouse and into the Clock Court with the Astronomical Clock in the tower on the far side. (For more detailed information about this part of the tour, please clink on the link to Part Two)

This is the part of the tour which separates to enter the Tudor buildings on the left and the Stuart / Georgian buildings to the right. I would recommend starting to the left and touring this section of the palace since in the timeline of the history of England the Tudor period of Wolsey and King Henry preceded the Stuart period of William and Mary and later the Georgian period.

Then, after visiting the Tudor sections of Hampton Court, visitors should then proceed into the Stuart and Georgian sections of the palace. But first, here is a little history …

In 1689 England had two monarchs that ruled jointly, Queen Mary II (the daughter of King James II) and her husband, William of Orange (King William III). It was during this period that Hampton Court would undergo almost a complete renovation changing the architecture of the building, both exterior and interior, from a Gothic style to a Baroque style that was in keeping with the rival French court of King Louis XIV which had recently taken up permanent residence in the impressive Palace of Versailles.

Within months of their accession, the Royal couple had commissioned Sir Christopher Wren and the original plans had intended that the Tudor palace of King Henry VIII would be entirely demolished, retaining only the Great Hall, and then replaced with a more modern palace. The problem was that funds were not available to finance the ambitious project and Wren eventually revised his vision to include two additional sections of the palace to accommodate the new State Apartments for the King and Queen.

King’s State Apartments

The entrance to the King’s State Apartments is under the colonnade in the Clock Court. Visitors should proceed up the grand King’s Staircase to view the main rooms of the King’s State Apartments. The King’s Staircase was painted by the Italian painter, Antonio Verrio, and the mural is called “Victory of Alexander over the Caesars”. There is also a lovely wrought iron balustrade that was designed by Jean Tijou, he was a French ironworker and patron of William and Mary. His ironwork can also be seen in several impressive gates located on the grounds of Hampton Court and at St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Duke of Devonshire’s Chatsworth estate.

(Special Note: Look for Verrio’s signature which can be seen at the top of the stairs over the door leading into the Guard Chamber.

Today, visitors to Hampton Court will continue the tour into the rooms on the second floor of the King’s State Apartments. Generally, the rooms of a palace would be arranged in a type of funnel pattern, meaning that the first rooms would be large and mostly lacking furniture allowing space to accommodate the large groups of courtiers waiting to see the monarch and as the courtiers would progress deeper into palace the rooms would become smaller and access more exclusive reflecting an increasing level of importance to the monarch until finally the most private rooms would be the monarch’s bedchamber.

The first room is the Guard Chamber which has an impression collection of weapons, such as muskets, bayonets, pistols, and swords hung on the walls of the room. In the time of William and Mary’s reign, the Yeomen of the Guard would have been stationed at the door to check the court courtiers before allowing them entry into the Presence Chamber and access to the King. The Presence Chamber was considered the official throne room of the palace; the King would sit on a throne placed on a fine Turkish rug positioned under a grand canopy. Strangely, even when the room was not occupied by the King, courtiers would still have been required to bow to the throne as they would pass through into the other rooms of the State Apartments.

Visitors on the tour will continue into an area known as the Eating Room where King William would sometimes dine in public under the watchful eyes of the courtiers. Centuries ago the room would have been furnished with a large dining table and a special chair for the King. Today, the lighting fixtures (torcheres) and mirrors (pier glasses) seen in the room are original pieces but the dining table is a reproduction which was made in 1992.

The next room is the Privy Chamber which is considered the main ceremonial room in the palace where King William would greet statesmen, foreign ambassadors and other important dignitaries. When not receiving invited guests, the room was also used for court functions. In 1986, this area of Hampton Court had a severe fire but luckily most of the furniture was saved. Unfortunately the fire destroyed the entire ceiling and the crystal chandelier and some of the wood paneling was also badly damaged, the room was eventually restored.

Special Note: Damage from the fire can still be seen today, look for the scorched paneling on the chimney wall.

Special Note: Before leaving the Privy Chamber, be sure to take a look through the windows which offer a wonderful view of the Privy Garden.

Continuing on the tour, the next room is the Withdrawing Room which was one of the more exclusive areas of the State Apartments and it is where members of the Privy Council, the Lord Chamberlain and other important officers of the court would have more private access to the King.

In next room visitors will see the impressive Great Bedchamber, this is not where the King slept but a ceremonial room where he would dress in the morning and disrobe in the evening. The room reflects the high status of the King and it is decorated with gilded furniture, beautiful tapestries and a luxurious bed covered with rich crimson taffeta curtains and bedding. The King would retire into the adjacent smaller bedchamber to sleep; only the most trust personal servants had access to this room. The painted ceiling by Verrio depicts Mars, the God of War, sleeping in the arms of Venus, the Goddess of Love. When the King wanted to work privately, he would use the room next to the smaller bedchamber called the King’s Closet which functioned as a personal study, here a door leads into the Queen’s State Apartments. There is also a small staircase that leads downstairs to three additional rooms known as the East Closet, the Middle Closet and the West Closet. This is where the King spent most of his time during the day and it is decorated with his most treasured works of art.

Also on the main floor of the King’s State Apartments is the Orangery paved in a distinctive pattern of purple and grey Swedish limestone. The Orangery is a type of greenhouse where orange trees and bay trees were kept in the winter months, in the summer the trees would be moved outside onto the terrace which lead to the Privy Gardens. Orange trees were very popular in England during the reign of William and Mary and also held special meaning because King William was from the Dutch House of Orange and some of the trees had been brought to England when he married Queen Mary which had originally grown in his gardens in Holland.

Located at the far end of the Orangery are several rooms that King William used for private entertaining, the Drawing Room and Dining Room. In the Dining Room, the table is set for an intimate dinner with the finest linens and gold plate serving pieces. The walls are hung with a series of portraits known as the “Hampton Court Beauties”. This room is the final room on the tour of the King’s State Apartments.

Queen’s State Apartments

The Queen’s State Apartments can also be entered from the Clock Courtyard and up the Queen’s Staircase. This section of Hampton Court was originally built by Sir Christopher Wren during the reign of William and Mary and was still not completed at the time of Queen Mary II in 1714. The staircase had remained very plainly decorated until 1734 when the painter, William Kent, was commissioned to paint the beautiful ceiling and the 1628 painting that hangs on the is by Gerrit van Honthorst, “Mercury Presenting the Liberal Arts to Apollo and Diana”.

Special Note: At the corners of the ceiling in the Queen’s Staircase, look for the monogram of King George II and Queen Caroline who later lived in the Queen’s State Apartments.

The rooms of the Queen’s State Apartments are very similar to the ones found in the King’s State Apartments. The first room is the Guard Chamber and be sure to look for the intricate carved fireplace chimneypiece by Grinling Gibbons depicting the Yeoman of the Guard that would have been on duty in the room back in the Stuart and Georgian periods of Hampton Court.

The next room on the tour is the Presence Chamber and then the Public Dining Room which was used infrequently for dining and occasionally as a room for musical entertainment. The marble fireplace chimneypiece was carved by Gibbons and the front bears the coat of arms of King Charles I.

Continuing the tour, the next room is the Audience Chamber where Queen Caroline would formally receive courtiers and foreign ambassadors. The elegant throne canopy was originally used by Queen Caroline but the chair dates back to 1690 and is placed on a fine Turkish carpet. The magnificent silver chandelier is suspended from a gilded Garter Star and inscribed with the official Order of the Garter motto, “Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense”.

The Drawing Room was the most important and exclusive rooms of the Queen’s State Apartments. This is also the room where Queen Caroline would set up several card tables in the evening for entertainment. On the west side of the room there is a door that leads to a private dining room and on the north side hanging above the fireplace is a painting of Queen Anne’s husband when he was Prince George, the Lord Admiral of the Fleet.

Hampton Court - Queen's Drawing Room ceiling

The next room of the tour is the Queen’s State Bedchamber and is furnished with the original bed which was made during the time when the royal couple was the Prince and Princess of Wales. The ceiling is painted by Sir James Thornhill and depicts Apollo and his chariot.

The Queen’s Gallery was originally intended as Queen Mary’s private gallery, but it was not completed at the time of her death in 1694. Today, several 18^th century Brussels tapestries depicting the story of Alexander the Great hang in the Gallery. There is also a grand marble chimneypiece which was carved by John Nost.

Special Note: Sometimes, in the Queen’s Gallery on either side of the fireplace are two large blue and white delftware tulip vases. Seasonally, tulip bulbs are planted within each of the tiers and the tulip plant and flower would sprout from each of the individual containers. Shown in the photo to the right is an example of a smaller delftware vase with tulips in bloom.

Delfware tulip vase - smaller version in blooom

The final rooms on the tour of the Queen’s State Apartments are the Queen’s Closet which has a door that connected to the King’s Closet and the Room of the Ladies of the Bedchamber which was for the use of the Queen’s personal servants.

The Cumberland Suite

The entrance to the Georgian Rooms of Hampton Court is under the George II Gateway and then up a small staircase on the left.

The Cumberland Suite was designed in a Gothic Revival style by William Kent for the Duke of Cumberland, the youngest son of King George II and finished in 1732. Currently the Cumberland Suite displays an ever-changing display of artwork from the Royal Collection.

Hampton Court - Cumberland Art Gallery 1

Included on this portion of the tour are: the Wolsey Closet with has a gilded ceiling incorporating badges of the Tudor Rose and the Prince of Wales feathers. The next rooms on the tour are the Communication Gallery which served as a link for people to pass into the queen and king apartments and the Cartoon Gallery which was specifically built for King William III by Sir Christopher Wren to display Raphael’s “Acts of the Apostles” which were cartoons, meaning a drawing made on sturdy paper as a study for a painting or tapestry. In 1865, Queen Victoria decided that the cartoons should be displayed for public viewing and Prince Albert loaned them to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London where they still remain today on permanent exhibit (as shown in the photo on the right), the cartoons currently hanging in the Gallery at Hampton Court are copies of the originals (as shown in the photo on the left).

Raphael Gallery - Victoria and Albert Museum 1

The next set of rooms on the tour were originally designed for Queen Mary II, put when she died in 1694 the rooms remained vacate for several years until 1716 when they were given to Prince and Princess of Wales and later rooms were lavishly renovated when they became King George II and Queen Caroline. The private apartment was then used exclusively by Queen Caroline, the rooms in this section of the palace are: The Private Drawing Room was used by the Queen used to play quadrille (a card game) or for afternoon tea service, the room’s walls are covered in a beautiful crimson red flock wallpaper that dates back to the 18^th century. The Queen’s Private Bedchamber which was considered the most restricted and private room in the palace and indeed there are special locks on the doors that can be closed in the evening and opened in the morning from a device located near the bed.

Special Note: Over the chimneypiece hangs a painting of Queen Caroline painted by Joseph Highmore.

Visitors will continue on the tour viewing rooms such as the Dressing Room and Bathroom which features a reproduction bath (remember bathing at that time was considered a luxury and not a common daily activity!).

The next room is the Private Dining Room with an adjacent Sideboard Room and finally the Private Oratory which features a beautiful carved dome ceiling and is where the Queen would have used the room for morning and evening prayers as well as her weekly religious discussions with her Chaplain. This concludes the tour of the Georgian section of Hampton Court and visitors will exit down the Caithness Staircase.

Hampton Court - Queen's Private Oratory dome ceiling

Other points of interest at Hampton Court

The Hampton Court Gardens

The Hampton Court Gardens have been carefully tended for over 500 years. As previously mentioned in Part One of this series on Hampton Court, the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem used the land since 1236 as part of their agricultural estates. In 1514 Cardinal Thomas Wolsey acquired the property he had ornamental gardens planted. Then in 1529 the estate came under the ownership of King Henry VII and sections of the property were enclosed for a deer park to be used for hunting and riding. So, gradually the land changed from being used for agricultural purposes to the recreational activities for the monarch. Currently the Hampton Court estate includes the palace buildings which cover 6 acres, the formal gardens which cover 60 acres and the park lands which cover 750 acres.

When visiting Hampton Court, be sure to allow plenty of time to walk the formal gardens or to take a carriage ride through the park. Listed below are two exceptional features that I highly recommend seeing:

The Maze

The Maze of Hampton Court was commissioned in 1700 by King William III and is designed by George London and Henry Wise. The Maze covers a third of an acre and is located to the north of the main buildings of Hampton Court. When the Maze was originally planted hornbeam was used and later it was replanted using yew and it is England’s oldest surviving hedge maze. Visitors will find the puzzle maze fun and sometimes confusing with its many twists, turns and dead ends.

The Great Vine

The Great Vine is located adjacent to the main building of Hampton Court on the south side of the estate and fills the entire greenhouse. The Great Vine, Vitis vinifera “Shiva Grossa, was originally planted in 1769 which makes it almost 250 years old! The plant is still producing and annually yields approximately 600 pounds of black dessert grapes. (If you are lucky to visit Hampton Court in the first weeks of September you might be able to taste the grapes)

This concludes the three part series on Hampton Court. Part One discusses the building of Hampton Court and its history throughout the centuries. Part Two gives a detailed tour of the Tudor side of Hampton Court.

If you are planning a trip to England and a visit to Hampton Court, please see their official website www.hrp.org.uk/HamptonCourtPalace for information regarding hours of operations, admission prices, directions, etc

Travel – Hampton Court (Part Two)

Posted on January 8, 2015 by barbara

Hampton Court Palace is located beside the River Thames and in 1998 my son and I traveled there by boat on a special tour for a day trip, departing in the morning from London and then returning in the late afternoon by railway. In this post, Part Two, of the three part series I will explore the Tudor side of Hampton Court. Previously, in Part One I discussed the history of Hampton Court which was originally built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and later became the primary home of King Henry VIII. In Part Three I will give a detailed tour of the Stuart side of Hampton Court with suggestions for the things to see and do when planning a visit to the palace.

Hampton Court Palace is sometimes considered two palaces combined to form one large royal estate. As previously mentioned, the original section is a Gothic style palace built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey during the Tudor period. King Henry VIII later claimed the palace for his own use after the Cardinal had fallen out of favor and the King went on to create a grand residence truly fit for royalty. Several centuries later King William III and Queen Mary II, who ruled England jointly during the Stuart period, completely renovated Hampton Court and built two Baroque style additions creating the King and Queen’s State Apartment. The photos below illustrate the contrast in architectural styles.

Hampton Court - King's Apartment exterior

Today, great care has been taken to restore the exterior and interior of the large palace building and also to return the grounds of the royal estate back to their original appearance. The State Apartments were completely restored with furniture, paintings, tapestries and other decorations to create the suite of rooms as they would have appeared during the Stuart period. Other areas of Hampton Court, such as the Great Hall, were fully restored to reflect the palace at the time during King Henry VIII’s reign in the Tudor period. Visitors have access to the palace through a designated tour route and there are additional displays in various areas of the palace which explain the history of the buildings throughout the centuries. A “living history” element is also added to the program of activities which includes characters dressed in period costumes that give visitors a feeling of how life was back in the Tudor period of England.

Special Note: When visiting Hampton Court, be sure to keep your eyes open because there are so many architecture features that convey hidden meanings or messages.

A tour of Hampton Court

Trophy Gate / the Great Gatehouse

Most visitors enter Hampton Court from the Main Entrance on the west side adjacent to the parking lot or by walking a short distance from the Hampton Court Railway Station entering the estate through the Trophy Gate. In past centuries, most visitors arrived by boat traveling along the River Thames. Visitors would then proceed across a short bridge, which at one time crossed over a moat, to enter Hampton Court through the Great Gatehouse. After King Henry VIII acquired Hampton Court from Cardinal Wolsey he commissioned ten statues that were placed on pillars long either side of the bridge. These statues are known as the King’s Beasts and represent the ancestry of King Henry and his third wife Jane Seymour. The statues are the lion of England, the Seymour lion, the Royal dragon, the black bull of Clarence, the yale (a mystical creature) of Beaufort, the white lion of Mortimer, the White Greyhound of Richmond, the Tudor dragon, the Seymour panther and the Seymour unicorn.

Special note: Before walking through the Gatehouse, be sure to look up to see a carved panel with the coat of arms of King Henry VIII.

Special Note: When walking through the Great Gatehouse, be sure to look up at the magnificent ceiling which features the Royal Arms that has been used by English Sovereigns since 1837 placed in the center. Other emblems represent a cardinal’s hat with ornamental tassels, the entwined initials of Thomas Wolsey, the archbishop mitre representing Wolsey’s position as Archbishop of York, a Tudor Rose, Queen Victoria’s Cypher, a Tudor Crown and Wolsey’s Pallium & Processional Cross.

Base Court / Ann Boleyn Gatehouse

After passing through the Gatehouse, visitors entered an area called the Base Court which features a reproduction wine fountain that once stood there in the Tudor period. Looking forward on the far side is the Anne Boleyn Gatehouse which was built to honor King Henry’s second wife (of course that was before he had her imprisoned in the Tower of London and executed for adultery!).

Special note: When walking through the Anne Boleyn Gatehouse, be sure to look up at the lovely ceiling with the Tudor Rose positioned at the center!

Travel Tip: Before progressing further into the palace of Hampton Court, be sure to see the introductory film featuring the lives of King Henry and his six wives which is shown in the Buttery to the left of the Boleyn Gatehouse before starting the tour into the main areas of the palace.

Clock Court / Astronomical Clock

After viewing the film, proceed through the Boleyn Gatehouse and enter the area called the Clock Court, be sure to turn around and look behind and above the Boleyn Gatehouse entrance you just passed through to see the coat of arms of Cardinal Wolsey.

Then, look to the far side of the courtyard and the top of the Clock Tower to see the famous Astronomical Clock commissioned by King Henry and installed in 1540. The clock not only marks the time of day but also indicates the current month and day of the year, the phases of the moon, position of the sun and twelve signs of the zodiac. The clock also indicated tide and the high water mark at London Bridge, this was very important since Hampton Court is located on the Thames River and during the Tudor period boat travel was still considered the preferred method of transportation.

The Clock Court of Hampton Court is also where the architecture style of the Tudor period of Wolsey and King Henry blend with the style of the Stuart period of King William III and Queen Mary II. To the left of the courtyard is the majestic Gothic style Great Hall which was built by King Henry and to the right is the elegant Baroque style colonnade which leads into the State Apartments created by Sir Christopher Wren for William and Mary and also the later Georgian additions of the Cumberland Suite added during the time of King George II.

The Great Hall

In 1529, when King Henry acquired Hampton Court from Cardinal Wolsey by dubious circumstances, one of the first things he did was to renovate the Great Hall. Visitors today will see one of the lasting remaining and considered to be the greatest of the medieval halls of England. In the continuing process of change within the history of the palace, it is fortunate that this section was saved from complete destruction and demolished during the reign of William and Mary. Both time and the lack of financing were a factor in saving both the Great Hall and the Chapel Royal but unfortunately the original State Apartments of King Henry, which were located to the right side of the Clock Court, were lost during the renovations and subsequent new additions built by Wren.

The Great Hall is the largest room in the palace and measures 108 feet long by 40 feet wide with an extravagantly decorated hammer-beam roof soaring to the height of 60 feet. The walls are decorated with beautiful Brussels tapestries from the early 16th century depicting the biblical story of Abraham. The room is also decorated with beautiful stained-glass windows showing various emblems and an intricately carved minstrel’s gallery. In Great Hall, King Henry sat at a table positioned on a raised dais and he would dine on a large meal over the course of several hours.

Special Note: When King Henry suddenly dismissed his second wife, Anne Boleyn, (remember she was imprisoned and executed) all traces of her existence were removed from Hampton Court with the exception of a small carving on a ceiling beam in the Great Hall that was overlooked. Try and find the intertwined initials of HA representing Henry and Anne which still remain hidden high in the ceiling of the Great Hall)

Special Note: Another item of interest hidden in the ceiling of the Great Hall are several unique carvings of “eavesdroppers” placed to warn visitors to the court of King Henry that there were no secrets because someone would always be watching and listening!!

Special Note: In a room on the left, before entering the Great Hall, there is a door at the top of the stairs that holds a long forgotten but lasting memory to King Henry and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Above the door is a stone arch decorated with Tudor Roses the right for King Henry and Spanish pomegranates on the left for Catherine.

Catherine of Aragon - Spanish pomegranets

After leaving the Great Hall, visitors can continue a tour of the Tudor section of Hampton Court passing through rooms such as the Horn Room, the Great Watching Chamber and the Haunted Gallery (where it is said that Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of King Henry, went screaming and running through the room shortly after she was accused of adultery. She was put under house arrest prior to her imprisonment at the Tower of London and ultimately she was executed)

The Chapel Royal

The next major room on the tour of the Tudor section of Hampton Court is the beautiful Chapel Royal which has been in continuous use for over 450 years. Cardinal Wolsey built the current Chapel on the exact site of the former thirteenth century chapel of the Knights Hopitaller of St. John of Jerusalem. When King Henry acquired the property from Wolsey he had recently broken ties with the Catholic Church and as a result most of the religious decorations defined as being connected to Catholic faith were removed and replaced. Since that time, each subsequent British monarch has altered the interior appearance of the chapel according to their personal style.

The chapel’s most impressive feature, which has remained throughout the centuries, is the wooden and plaster ceiling commissioned by King Henry and constructed during the 1530s by master carvers and carpenters with the oak acquired from Windsor Forest. The main color of the ceiling is a lovely shade of Tudor blue and gold with the pendants accented with red and white paint. The ceiling has been repaired and restored several times over the past centuries.

The Royal Pew section of the Chapel Royal was reserved exclusively for the use of the reigning monarch and the decorations reflect this with beautiful oak paneling and pillars designed by Sir Christopher Wren and created by Gringling Gibbons. Between each of the windows in the chapel is a panel painted by Thomas Highmore in 1710. Each panel is topped with a pair of gilded cherubs and designed with the same elements; the star of the Order of the Garter at the top, a cross of St. George in the center and at the bottom is the Royal Crown. The central plaque of each corresponding pair of matching panels that positioned across either side of the chapel are different; the first pair shows the plants of the kingdom – the rose for England, the thistle for Scotland and the shamrock for Ireland, the second pair is the Royal cypher of Anna Regina, the third is same Royal coat of arms featured in the Royal Pew, the fourth a lion with the Royal crown and the fifth and final pair between the last window is a heraldic badge of the Tudor Rose and the Spanish pomegranate to honor King Henry’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon.

The Altar in the Chapel Royal is a carved oak table designed by Sir Christopher Wren and the oak reredos behind the altar were carved by Gringling Gibbons. In 1537, Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry, died soon after the birth of their son, Edward and it is said that her heart is buried beneath the altar.

Henry VIII’s Tudor Kitchens

One of the most interesting places in Hampton Court is the Tudor Kitchens that can be found in the basement below the Great Hall and can be accessed through a door in the Clock Courtyard. At the time that Cardinal Wolsey built Hampton Court, the kitchens were equipped to feed his household of 600 people. When King Henry took over Hampton Court, the kitchens provided to be too small for his court of over a thousand people. The kitchens were greatly expanded at this time to over fifty rooms covering almost 36,000 square feet in the palace where the food was prepared by a large kitchen staff to provide twice daily meals for the King and his court using approximately 760 calves, 2,330 deer, 8,200 sheep, 1,870 pigs and 53 wild boar annually and consumed with 600,000 gallons of beer.

When the Hampton Court was no longer used as a residence for the British monarch in the mid-18^th century, the kitchens of the palace were converted into “grace and favour apartments”. Then, in 1991 the kitchens were restored in appearance and function to represent how they looked and were used in the Tudor times. The various areas in this section have interesting sounding names such as: the Boiling House, the Fish Court, the Great Kitchens, the Dressers, the Serving Place and North Cloister and the Cellars.

Travel Tip: If you are lucky during a visit to Hampton Court, the docents will be available to discuss the Tudor Kitchens and give specific information regarding menu and meal preparations.

The Royal Tennis Court

The first tennis court at Hampton Court was built by Cardinal Wolsey between 1526 and 1529. Tennis games had been created as an excellent form of exercise to keep the body strong and healthy. Keeping this in mind, a young and virile King Henry would thoroughly enjoy playing a good game of tennis on the court of the palace. Since that time there has always been one at Hampton Court and there currently is an active private tennis club that uses the facilities.

On a tour of the Royal Tennis Courts is included in the admission to Hampton Court. Visitors can expect to view interactive displays explaining how that the tennis game was played during the Tudor period and features handmade tennis balls and custom made racquets. The external wall to the right of the viewing gallery was part of the original Wolsey building and the other three walls date back to the 17^th century.

Listed below are two additional displays relating to King Henry that visitors should see during a visit to Hampton Court.

The Young King Henry VIII exhibition

The Young King Henry VIII exhibition at Hampton Court is a fascinating permanent exhibit which explains the life story of a young Prince Henry, Katherine of Aragon and Thomas Wolsey. Hopefully, visitors will come away from the exhibit with a better understanding of how the young and handsome Henry turned into the old obese and tyrant of a man that broke ties with the Catholic Church to divorce Katherine and marry five more times!

King Henry VIII Crown exhibit

On display in the Royal Pew at Hampton Court is a re-creation of King Henry VIII’s crown which was later used at the coronations of each of his three children. Unfortunately, during the time of the Commonwealth period of England, Oliver Cromwell had many outward symbols of the British monarchy, such as the original crown, destroyed and melted down. From the King’s own written record describing the crown in detail and how it was constructed, along with painting depicting the crown, a fairly accurate replica was created. The original crown was made from 84 ounces of gold and decorated with 344 rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds and pearls.

This would conclude the tour of the Tudor portion of Hampton Court. Part Three of the series will give a tour of the Stuart section of the palace, please click on the link to view. For more information about the history and the building of Hampton Court throughout the centuries, please click on the link to Part One of the three part series.

The Enchanted Manor

a lifestyle blog by Barbara Jones

Tag Archives: Travel

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