Last updated: November 16, 2024
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Texas White House in Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park to be Rehabilitated through GAOA Funding
NPS Photo
As a boy, Lyndon Johnson knew the home of his Uncle Clarence and Aunt Frank Martin as "the big house on the river." In 1951 he took ownership of the house from his widowed aunt, and the expanding home and associated LBJ Ranch became a center of political activity for nearly 20 years. Lyndon Johnson spent a quarter of his presidential years (1963 - 1969) leading the nation from his home, known to the world as the Texas White House.
Following the deaths of President Johnson in 1973 and Mrs. Johnson in 2007, the home was opened to the public in August 2008. However, the Texas White House was built over generations as a family home. Sections of it are over a century old. It was not constructed to withstand the hundreds of thousands of visitors who flocked to enter the home during the ten years it was open to the public (2008 – 2018).
Project at a Glance: This $14 million project will address maintenance/repair work, structural concerns, code deficiencies, and deterioration of historic features in the Texas White House, nearby communications buildings, and the surrounding site.
What are the Benefits: Lyndon Johnson was the first president to have the technological capability of working from a home located at such a distance from Washington, DC. Cabinet meetings, press conferences, and key decisions all took place on the front lawn of the Texas White House. The house and surrounding LBJ Ranch also offered the president a place of serenity during the turbulent 1960s and a place where he could reconnect with his Hill Country roots.
This project will ensure the long-term integrity of this historic structure and allow it to be reopened to the public. Visitors will again be able to tour the first floor rooms, the majority having been restored and furnished to their appearance during the presidential years (1963-1968) while the master bedroom suites will retain their appearance at the time of President and Mrs. Johnson's deaths (1973 and 2007, respectively). Such an opportunity will allow visitors a glimpse into the life of our 36th president and a better understanding of the influences that shaped his legacy.
Project Purpose and Goals
The Texas White House was an important location during Lyndon Johnson's presidency (1963 -1969). This project will ensure the integrity of this historical structure and surroundings are preserved for future generations by:
- Repairing building envelopes
- Replacing outdated electrical, mechanical, HVAC, and alarm systems
- Stabilizing the foundation
- Addressing structural deficiencies throughout the facilities
- Abating hazardous materials will be abated
- Replacing and rehabilitating aged and deteriorated site utility systems and site drainage to sustain the expected visitor loads and to withstand extreme weather events.
- Improving accessibility and fire egress improvements throughout the site
- Stabilizating of the historic aides and communications trailers and switchboard building
Take a virtual tour of the Texas White House.
NPS Photo/Douglas Smith