Protecting the EEOB

Urgent Call to Action: Help Protect a National Historic Landmark

This is a critical opportunity for public input before irreversible harm is done. Please submit your comment (instructions below) before 4pm on Wednesday, April 15.

On April 16, the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) will consider a proposal to paint bright white the historic granite exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), a National Historic Landmark and one of the most significant examples of French Second Empire architecture in the United States. CFA advises on the aesthetics and design of the capital – separate from historic preservation and environmental review.

Despite our pending federal lawsuit, the White House is advancing this plan, which threatens to permanently alter the building’s historic character and damage the stone itself.

To learn more about the significant problems with this project, you can read a summary of the results of our survey of 25 of the world’s leading experts on historic architecture. You can also view a presentation provided to the White House on March 5th describing how the President could beautify EEOB without painting and how painting will functionally (not just aesthetically) ruin the building’s exterior. 

Your voice matters—whether you are an expert or simply someone who values our shared history. Please act before 4:00 PM on Wednesday, April 15.

How You Can Help:

1. Review the sample comment below.
2. Personalize your comment if possible. CFA considers how projects affect the federal interest and the dignity of the capital as experienced by people. Tell commissioners how you experience the EEOB and its surroundings — whether as a DC resident, a visitor, a professional, or simply as an American citizen who values this civic space. Concrete, personal accounts of how you experience the visual relationship between the EEOB, the White House, and Lafayette Square are genuinely useful. If you have professional expertise in architecture, historic preservation, masonry, or related fields, say so — and apply it.
3. Email your comment to cfastaff@cfa.gov and bcc: info@culturalheritagepartners.com so that we have proof of submissions if needed later.

 
Optional: You may also attend and provide in-person comments at the Commission’s April 16 meeting (401 F Street NW, Suite 312, Washington, DC; meeting begins at 9:00 AM). Individuals will be limited to three minutes; people representing organizations will be limited to five minutes. As a courtesy, please notify staff at cfastaff@cfa.gov by 4pm on the day before the meeting if you are requesting to provide oral comments during the meeting.

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Sample Comment

Dear Commissioners,

I urge you to oppose the President’s plan to paint the EEOB. Painting this iconic gray granite building white would permanently destroy the visual balance of one of America’s most significant civic spaces.

The building’s gray granite is not an accident or a deficiency to be corrected; it is a deliberate and celebrated design choice that has defined this part of the capital for more than 135 years. The building was designed to showcase the natural texture and tonal variation of its granite. Paint would obscure the craftsmanship and detail that define its historic design. Moreover, the gray stone of the EEOB and of the Treasury Building bookend and highlight the stark white of the White House. Painting the EEOB, which is far larger than the White House, the same color will eliminate the White House’s visual distinction.

Permanence of materials is a core CFA value —permanently altering irreplaceable historic granite runs directly counter to it. Painting requires surface abrasion and traps moisture, which causes cracking, flaking, and long-term structural degradation of the stone. Once applied, paint cannot be removed without further damaging the stone. White paint will show environmental staining far more visibly than granite. The federal government’s own longstanding guidance warns against painting historic granite for precisely these reasons.

There are better, proven alternatives. Cleaning and repointing have successfully restored and brightened the building’s exterior in the past without damaging the stone. Other options for beautification include modernized architectural lighting and landscaping. I support preservation approaches that enhance the building while respecting established standards.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Affiliation if relevant]