what happened to the west wing of the white house during a christmas party in 1929
electrical fire
title: National Christmas Tree (United States) text: much of the Christmas choral and music program remained unchanged (the ceremony reverted to its 6 p.m. time again), the 1929 event was notable for another reason as well. That evening, as President Herbert Hoover and Mrs. Lou Henry Hoover entertained children from the local community, a fire broke out in the West Wing of the White House. While Mrs. Hoover quietly moved the children into the East Wing and safety, the President and other men rushed into the West Wing where they retrieved furniture, files, historic items, important papers, Hoover's personal effects, and even a puppy (being given as title: White House text: gifts of furniture and art for the first time. The West Wing was damaged by fire in 1929, but rebuilt during the remaining years of the Herbert Hoover presidency. In the 1930s, a second story was added, as well as a larger basement for White House staff, and President Franklin Roosevelt had the Oval Office moved to its present location: adjacent to the Rose Garden. Decades of poor maintenance, the construction of a fourth story attic during the Coolidge administration, and the addition of a second-floor balcony over the south portico for Harry S. Truman took a great toll on title: West Wing text: the addition's south facade, reminiscent of the oval rooms on the three floors of the White House. Later, at the outset of his presidency, Herbert Hoover rebuilt the West Wing, excavating a partial basement, and supporting it with structural steel. The completed building however lasted less than seven months. On December 24, 1929, the West Wing was significantly damaged by an electrical fire. Hoover rebuilt it, and added air-conditioning. The fourth and final major reorganization was undertaken less than three years later by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Dissatisfied with the size and layout of President Hoover's West Wing, he engaged New title: Roosevelt Room text: White House. The original structure, some of which is still extant in the present West Wing, was originally intended to be temporary. With some modifications by William Howard Taft the West Wing remained largely unchanged until a fire on December 24, 1929 during the administration of Herbert Hoover. Because of the recent stock market crash, Hoover chose only to repair rather than expand. In 1933, early in the administration of Franklin Roosevelt, the new president began a series of meetings with staff architect Eric Gugler to enlarge and modify the West Wing. Roosevelt moved Taft's Oval Office, centered on the title: Hoover desk text: United States by the Grand Rapids Furniture Manufacturers Association. At about 8:00 pm on Christmas Eve, 1929, a fire began in the attic of the West Wing. Due to some quick thinking and a tarpaulin, George Akerson managed to save the Theodore Roosevelt desk, but the executive offices were heavily damaged. By 10:30 the fire was extinguished but not before the roof, attic, floors, and press room of the West Wing were ruined. The building was repaired and on April 14, 1930, President Herbert Hoover moved back into the newly constructed Oval Office. With the opening of the newly repaired