The State Dining Room

George P. A. Healy’s portrait of Abraham Lincoln, garlanded with long needle pine intertwined with gold aspen leaves, is the focus of the State Dining Room. President Lincoln was a man of character and intellect who preserved the Union and assured our future as a great nation. A number of national parks around the country honor the life of this extraordinary man, including the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., where the Great Emancipator is immortalized in marble. Above his statue are inscribed the words: “In this temple, as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the Union, the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.”

Each sconce is adorned with mixed greenery, gold ribbons, and pine cones – which you’ll find in all shapes and sizes in wooded areas such as Prince William Forest Park in Virginia. An embossed gold tablecloth with a sheer overlay covers the grand buffet table, and arrangements of white amaryllis enhance the gilded bronze plateau that President James Monroe bought from France in 1817.

The gingerbread house brings smiles to children’s faces every holiday season. Months of work, pounds of chocolate, countless sheets of gingerbread, and mountains of sugar went into the creation of this enchanting and edible masterpiece. This year, the south view of the White House is depicted with historical and architectural accuracy by White House Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses and White House.

Assistant Pastry Chef Chris Phillips. The Bush family pets - Barney, Miss Beazley, and Willie - celebrate the beauty of creation with moose, elk, raccoons and other friends from parks across the nation.

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