Trump plans to paint historic landmark white, sparking preservationist backlash over cost and damage

(SeaPRwire) –   A White House official involved in the initiative announced Thursday that President Donald Trump’s plan to apply a fresh coat of white paint to the exterior of a 19th-century historic landmark building adjacent to the White House could cost taxpayers a minimum of $7.5 million.

Ryan Erb, who serves as the construction operations and facilities manager for the White House Office of Administration and is leading the proposal, walked through details with members of the National Capital Planning Commission as the federal agency launched its review procedure.

The commission declined to greenlight the project on Thursday, instead ordering the White House to submit extra details to the agency at a later date.

The planned paint job on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building is part of a wider initiative the Republican president has stated will make Washington, D.C., more aesthetically pleasing.

Trump has rolled out a number of changes to the interior and exterior of the White House and its grounds; most notably, he is pushing to demolish the East Wing to construct a 1,000-person ballroom. Just across the street from the presidential mansion, Lafayette Park is shut down for renovations that include restoring its fountains.

“President Trump is continuing to enhance the beauty of the White House and our nation’s capital, and is restoring it to the grandeur it deserves — a move everyone should celebrate,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle shared in an emailed statement following the meeting.

When asked about the project’s expenses, Erb noted that his team is still collaborating with an external vendor to test the silicate paint they intend to use, but cited a preliminary price tag of $7.5 million solely for the exterior painting work. The White House will use funds already allocated for maintenance and upkeep initiatives.

“Unfortunately, we cannot rush this process,” Erb told commissioners during their monthly gathering. “We are working to gather all of the necessary data first.”

The White House has presented two potential plans: coating the entire gray granite exterior of the Eisenhower Building in white, or painting most of the structure white while keeping the granite base unchanged. Officials have shared that painting the entire building is the preferred option.

Trump stated last year that the gray hue is a “truly unappealing color.”

Erb announced Thursday that the paint is being tested on granite samples sourced from a quarry in Maine, since no testing can be performed directly on the Eisenhower Building itself. He emphasized that these samples are fresh stone, not the weathered material currently on the structure, which first opened in 1888 following 17 years of construction.

“The initial data gathered during this process has been promising,” he noted.

However, the plan has sparked concern among preservationists, architects, historians and other groups, who argue that granite is not intended to be painted, and that coating it would trap moisture and cause the stone to degrade.

“Painting the building’s granite facade white will harmfully and permanently alter this significant landmark, and the plan should be rejected,” shared Priya Jain of the Society of Architectural Historians. She was one of 11 individuals who spoke during Thursday’s meeting, with most attendees urging the commission to turn down the proposal.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation stated that the “subtle, rich tones” of the EEOB’s granite exterior are “core to its historic importance,” and that the proposed plan would fail to preserve those defining characteristics. This nonprofit organization has already filed a lawsuit related to the planned White House ballroom.

Over 2,000 public comments submitted to the agency and posted on its website also voiced strong opposition to the plan. Commenters called the projected cost a waste of taxpayer funds, and argued that a white-painted Eisenhower Building would disrupt the visual harmony along that stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue and overshadow the White House. Some attendees proposed alternatives like landscaping tweaks, lighting adjustments, and other steps to improve the building’s appearance without painting it.

The National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by top Trump White House advisor Will Scharf, approved the staff’s recommendations regarding the proposal. This means White House representatives will need to share additional details with the agency at a later time, including specifics on the type of paint to be used and alternatives that could enhance the building’s look without repainting it.

Another federal agency, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, is also reviewing the plan and recently requested the White House to submit extra details — including information on the paint testing — ahead of any vote to approve the initiative.

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which sits across a driveway from the White House, is designated a National Historic Landmark. It is also included on the National Register of Historic Places.

A legal challenge to the planned paint job is also ongoing in federal court.