The letter below was submitted on April 15, 2026, to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. Download the letter here.

April 15, 2026

Mr. Rodney Mims Cook, Jr.
Chair
U.S. Commission of Fine Arts
401 F Street, NW, Suite 312
Washington, DC 20001

Re: CFA 16/APR/26-3 Eisenhower Executive Office Building, 1650 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. Exterior improvements. Concept.

Dear Mr. Cook:

The National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States (“National Trust”) is a private charitable, educational, nonprofit corporation headquartered in Washington, D.C. and chartered by Congress in 1949 to further the historic preservation policy of the United States. 54 U.S.C. § 312102(a). This Congressional charter obligates the National Trust to “facilitate public participation in the preservation of sites, buildings, and objects of national significance or interest.”

We respectfully submit the following comments concerning the current proposal by the Executive Office of the President to paint the exterior of the historic Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB). We urge the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) to consider these comments in connection with its responsibility to (1) advise on the plans and merits of the designs of public buildings to be erected in the District of Columbia by the federal government, and (2) advise on the merits, location, and design of statues, fountains, and monuments to be erected in the public squares, streets, and parks in the District of Columbia under the authority of the federal government.

After our initial review of the information available to the public, the National Trust is concerned about the severe and irreparable adverse effects of the proposed exterior change to the historic EEOB.

First, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building is a contributing element of the Lafayette Square Historic District and, importantly, this architecturally significant building is a National Historic Landmark, which, as our nation’s most coveted historic designation, indicates this structure’s place in our collective story as Americans. Accordingly, the EEOB’s federal steward should respect the aesthetic characteristics that qualify the landmark for NHL designation. The landmark’s architect, Alfred B. Mullett, chose the subtle aesthetic and rich, polychromatic appearance of granite walls, slate roof, and cast-iron detailing. The design, color, and materials are integral to its architectural significance and are character-defining features. Preservation principles guide stewards to protect character-defining features of contributing architectural properties.

Second, the proposal to paint the exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building will physically harm the landmark. Painting the historic building would likely cause structural damage. Coating the surface with an impermeable layer of paint would trap moisture within the masonry, thereby accelerating physical deterioration, cracking, scaling, and spalling. Furthermore, painting the building, something that would require continued assessment, reapplication and cleaning, would burden future stewards and potentially taxpayers with unnecessary costs.

Finally, painting the building would be irreversible. Removing paint from a masonry surface is difficult, costly, and inevitably degrades the surface. The historic EEOB has been preserved, un-painted, since its completion in 1888. Painting the exterior now would obscure the EEOB’s historic appearance, undermine its character-defining features, and accelerate the building’s deterioration.

Thank you for considering the views of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Sincerely,

Carol Quillen
President and Chief Executive Officer