Blair House

Important decisions are made in small rooms; grand strategies emerge from quiet chats beside the fire or from meetings around a table after the dishes are cleared away. Blair House has been the site of many such moments, a quiet but significant part of America’s story. Built in 1824, Blair House became politically central in Washington, D.C., the moment the Blair family took up residence in 1837. Francis Preston Blair was a circuit court clerk from Frankfort, Kentucky, whose editorials in his local newspaper attracted President Andrew Jackson’s attention. Jackson invited Blair to convert the Globe , a failing D.C. newspaper, into a pro-administration publication, and in 1830, Blair, his wife Eliza, and their three children moved to the nation's capital. Seven years later, they took up residence in the former home of Dr. Joseph Lovell, the first surgeon general of the U.S. Army. It would soon become known as Blair House. As editor of the Globe and the Congressional Globe (the first published proceedings of Congress) with partner John Cook Rives, Blair acquired a good deal of political power. Many political players, including presidents, sought his insight. He was the most influential member of President Jackson's informal group of advisors, the “Kitchen Cabinet,” and remained an important confidant to Jackson’s successor, Martin Van Buren. Abraham Lincoln also sought Blair’s counsel during his presidency and appointed Blair's eldest son, Montgomery, to his cabinet as Postmaster General. In 1859, Francis Preston Blair built a home at 1653 Pennsylvania Avenue, next to Blair House, for his daughter Elizabeth and her husband, Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee. This home, known as Lee House, is now an integral part of the Blair House complex. The United States Government purchased Blair House in 1942 at the urging of President Franklin Roosevelt when the need for diplomacy grew apace with the American military role in the Second World War. Previously, guests of the president customarily spent a night in the White House, followed by a hotel or embassy for the remainder of their visit. Winston Churchill’s frequent trips to Washington helped convince President Franklin Roosevelt of the need for official diplomatic housing. Franklin Roosevelt, Jr., recalls the morning his mother found the prime minister wandering towards the family’s private quarters at 7:30 a.m., trademark cigar in hand, to rouse the sleeping president for more conversation. He met Eleanor first, however, who firmly persuaded him to wait until breakfast. The President soon approved the purchase of Blair House—which included the Blair family’s furniture, china and silver—and the President’s Guest House was in business. Find the whole story in the free eBook, To Be Preserved for All Time: The Major and the President Save Blair House . When President Andrew Jackson took office in 1829, his official Cabinet was fractured by factional disputes, largely resulting from the fierce rivalry between Vice President John C. Calhoun and Secretary of State Martin Van Buren. The infighting was so pronounced that the Cabinet became virtually ineffectual, and Jackson stopped holding Cabinet meetings. He turned instead to an unofficial group of trusted friends and advisors, mocked in the rival press as the “Kitchen Cabinet.” Francis Preston Blair was a valued member. The Kitchen Cabinet played an important role in the Jackson administration until 1831. That year, controversy within the official Cabinet provoked the resignation of Van Buren and Secretary of War John Eaton, which allowed Jackson to request the resignations of all of the remaining members. The Kitchen Cabinet gradually declined with the success of his next official Cabinet, but Jackson’s bond with Blair remained strong to the President’s death in 1842. Under his leadership, the Globe became highly successful. In 1834, with partner John C. Rives, Blair began a second publication of Congressional proceedings, the Congr

Across the street from the White House, four seamlessly connected row houses comprise the 120-room Blair House complex, also known as The President’s Guest House. For over two centuries, Blair House has played an essential role in shaping the nation’s political, diplomatic, and cultural life. Even during its years as a private home, Blair House was a place where prominent political figures gathered and significant events unfolded—from Andrew Jackson’s “Kitchen Cabinet” to private discussions between Abraham Lincoln and his close advisor, newspaper publisher Francis Preston Blair, who acquired the home in 1836. In 1942, the U.S. government acquired Blair House, along with the Blair family's original furnishings, china, and silver, establishing it as the official guest residence of the President of the United States. With its 70,000 square feet of floor space, fine appointments, period antiques, and artwork, Blair House is a powerful instrument of American diplomacy. In addition to hosting visiting foreign leaders in comfortable and elegant surroundings, Blair House also provides a secure residence for each president-elect in the days leading up to the inauguration. Blair House extends the highest standard of American hospitality to more than 4,000 distinguished visitors from around the world each year, while also serving as the setting for a wide range of official, ceremonial, and social events. Founded in 1985, the Blair House Foundation is a private, charitable, non-partisan organization dedicated to the stewardship and enhancement of the Blair House complex. While funding from the U.S. Department of State and the General Services Administration support operational and structural needs, the Foundation, by taking responsibility for preserving and revitalizing the interiors, including furnishings, artwork, and gardens, ensures that official visitors experience the highest standard of American hospitality. “The Blair House has hosted some of the world’s most influential leaders, including kings, queens, presidents, and prime ministers. As America’s 250th anniversary approaches, we must consider the important role our nation’s institutions have played in shaping our core values. The Blair House, in particular, has been a beacon of dignity, cultural awareness, and attention to detail. America’s institutions, including the Blair House, honor legacy while transcending generations,” Blair House was recently featured in Architectural Digest , highlighting the property’s distinctive blend of heritage, craftsmanship, and contemporary hospitality. The feature offers a closer look at the thoughtfully restored interiors, layered materiality, and timeless character that define the Blair House experience.