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Preservation Office

What does the Facilities Management Division do?

As part of the Office of Administration, the Facilities Management Division's mission is to professionally manage the use of space and oversee the maintenance of space within all EOP facilities and provide excellence in customer service. The core functions include the Facility Request Program, Space Management, Project Oversight, Conference and Meeting Support, Preservation Stewardship, and Recycling Program Management.

What does the Preservation Office do?

As part of the Facilities Management Division, the Preservation Office's mission is the preservation of the historic and architectural integrity of the EOP properties. This involves the following tasks:

Oversee the restoration and preservation of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), the East and West Wings of the White House, and the Jackson Place Townhouses, among other selected properties.
Direct and manage public education programs on the history of the EOP properties (these include special presentations, exhibitions, brochures and other informational requests).
Maintain collections of furnishings, decorative arts, architectural fragments, prints and drawings, and research files, as well as manage the receipt of gifts and the loans of materials and furnishings.

Preservation Office Completed Projects

Since its establishment, the Preservation Office has initiated and overseen several restoration projects such as the award-winning restoration of the slate and cast iron roof and the restoration of the three Department libraries originally occupying the building (the State, War, and Navy Departments). The Secretary of the Navy's office has been restored to its circa 1900 appearance and serves as the ceremonial office of the Vice President. The Pennsylvania Avenue entrance, bronze stair balusters, corridors, corner domes and the fifth floor east and west rotundas have also been restored to their original appearance. Additional work has included repair and replacement of window sash and doors; rebuilding the exterior plazas including lighting, fencing and paving; repair and upgrading of the elevators; and installation of a fire suppression system in the basement. In all the projects that are completed, the work is monitored to assure consistency with preservation criteria. In 1988, Congress enacted legislation to allow the Office of Administration to accept gifts and loans for preservation activities so as to shift the expense to public and private partnerships.

Current Preservation Office Projects

Preservation, renovation, and restoration projects overseen by the Preservation Office are underway at all times. Current projects at the EEOB include a thorough modernization of the entire building, which is the building's first comprehensive renovation of all systems since its original construction.

EEOB Tour

Photo by: Library of Congress, Circa 1890 Constructed from 1871-1888 for the State, War and Navy Departments, this building has played a significant role in America's political history and architectural heritage. It was designed by Supervising Architect Alfred B. Mullett in the French Second Empire style and contained innovative building systems for the time - waterclosets, passenger elevators, utility conduits and a building-wide convection heating and cooling system.

Public tours are currently suspended until further notice. In the meantime, you can visit the restored areas of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and learn more about the history of the building on the official EEOB web tour.

Occupant Histories

The Executive Office of the President (EOP) moved in officially in 1947 after the last of the original occupants, the State Department, moved out. The first EOP entities to move into the old State Building (as the EEOB was known) were the Bureau of the Budget (now the Office of Management and Budget) and the National Security Council.

Several entities make up the Executive Office of the President. These entities are varied, and have a unique history. The Office of the Administration Preservation Office is currently seeking information related to the history of these many entities in hopes of creating documentation of the individual agency histories.