Sunday, November 20, 2016

Eisenhower Home at Gettysburg

October 1, 2016

Eisenhower attended West Point and during WWI, he was stationed at Camp Colt in Gettysburg PA where he trained soldiers for the tank corps.  He loved the area in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.  

By WWII he was a general and was named the Supreme Allied Commander of the Army and his orders were simply "You will land in Europe, and proceeding to Germany, will destroy Hitler and all his forces."  In 1944 he led the invasion at Normandy, a turning point in the war.  

He retired from active service in 1948 and took the position of the president of Columbia University.

In 1950, General Dwight D. Eisenhower was preparing to retire and bought this farm as his retirement home.  This is the only home that he and Mamie ever owned.  Before they could move in, President Truman asked him to assume command of NATO.  In 1952, he became the 34th president of the USA.  He and Mamie used the farm as a weekend retreat and a place to meet with foreign dignitaries, until he left the White House in 1961.  


Eisenhower National Historic Site

Putting Green for Ike in the back yard.





The house is a time capsule from the 1950s.  Mamie's portrait hangs in the living room



This room contains a number of gifts from friends and from around the world.  The black lacquered coffee table from Korea.

The Tabriz rug from the shah of Iran and the fireplace, which was removed from the White House in 1873 by President Grant, was a gift from his staff

 Mementos from world leaders.






A painting of Prague was given to the general by the the citizens at the end of the war.

A nice Console TV on the porch.  This is where they spent most of their time.



Love this driftwood lamp

The dining room was used when guests were there.  

Young Ike bought Mamie the tea set piece by piece with his poker winnings.



In the foyer.  Mamie asked everyone who came to sign her guest book.

Just a small gathering for a picnic. 
Pat and Dick Nixon visited on September 12, 1956 for a picnic
Arthur K Atkinson was the president of the Wabash Railroad Company, came with his wife Mabel
David H. Marx co-founded the Marx Toy Company with his brother Louis, who also attended. His wife Charlene, was with him.
Jock Whitney was the Ambassador to the United Kingdom arrived with his wife, Betsey.
More notables.








EDgewood 4-4454 

The foyer.

It was legal back then to accept gifts.

Wallpaper....  Official State Seals... Missouri.   I'm not sure if all are there, but it was a bit difficult finding Missouri.  Hawaii and Alaska entered the states during Eisenhower's presidency



Mamie's mother's room



The sitting room  The three volumes with the frayed covers are Ike's West Point yearbooks

A painting by Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The General's rooms





Presidential slippers

Cute Kids.... Grandchildren, David and Barbara Anne.  Portrait painted by Ike.

Definitely a Pink 1950's bath.   Mamie's  rooms











The maids room.

Spare bedrooms







Laundry room----Wash, Iron, Sew.

Eisenhower's valet, Sergeant John Moaney and his wife lived here.  He asked to stay on after the General retired.



A 1950's kitchen 


Wow, nice gas range. I owned an electric range like the one in the corner, in my first house.


Crosley refrigerator

The den.


Ike's office















Inside the Tea House

The Tea House





The barn

The bell with the presidential seal engraved in it.


Ike was the first President to travel by helicopter and had a landing pad in his front yard. 



Secret Service offices in the barn.




A peek into the barn

This railing was recovered from the Eisenhower's Boyhood Home in Denver CO.  It is on the entrance porch to the guest house








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