NEW STEEL ROOF RECOMMENDED FOR THE WHITE HOUSE
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On February 13, 1925, The Evening Star reports that the roof of The White House "is unsafe and should be replaced with a steel structure." This was the advice given today to the public buildings committee of the House of Representatives by Major Oscar N. Solbert*, assistant to Lt. Col. C.O. Sherrill.
That's all well and good, but what does President Calvin Coolidge, known for his frugality, think about the idea? Well, as might be expected, he is again' it. So the committee took no action and the recommendation has not been proposed to Congress.
A year ago, Col. Sherrill himself described the roof on the Executive Mansion as "a fire trap."
Maj. Solbert told the committee that due to recent high winds and heavy snowfall, "the flimsy wooden roof will not last much longer."
JFK+50 NOTE
In 1927, construction on a new roof & 3rd floor for the White House was begun. As Maj. Solbert had recommended two years earlier, the new roof was made of steel. Concrete was also used and the pitch of the roof was increased.
*Oscar Nathaniel Solbert (1885-1958) was born in Sweden & emigrated with his family to Worcester, Massachusetts when he was 8 years old. ONS graduated from the USMA at West Point & joined the Corps of Engineers. He served in both world wars & in 1925 was military aide to President Coolidge.
SOURCE
"Says White House Roof Should Have Steel Structure," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., February 13, 1925, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/
