This photograph of burn marks on the White House stonework was taken by Erik Kvalsvik in 1990, during the George H. W. Bush administration. Following a two year report, the White House underwent a renovation that included the removal of approximately 30 layers of paint and took place over 25 years, from 1980 to 1996. This process revealed scarring beneath the paint, sustained when the British burned the White House during the War of 1812.

This photograph taken by Jack E. Boucher shows the South Portico of the White House protectively wrapped as 40 layers of paint are removed. The paint had become so thick as to obscure the craftsmanship of the original stone carvers. The entrance to the house remains open for continued use.

This photograph by Abbie Rowe was taken during the Truman renovation of the White House. Between 1948 and 1952, the White House was gutted and the interior was completely reconstructed. The facade remained intact during construction.

This photograph captures bankers-marks found engraved on the sandstones of the White House walls. Bankers-marks were a stonemason tradition with origins in Scotland and England. The first stonemason hired for White House construction, Collen Williamson, was a Scot who likely continued to enforce this tradition while working on the Executive Mansion. Historically, the marks represented apprentices upon the completion of their training and were derived from the marks of their teachers. The marks also indicated that a stonemasons' work was paid for by "measurement," not wages. The marks on the White House stones were uncovered during President Harry S. Truman's renovation of the Executive Mansion from 1948-1952. President Truman gave a number of the stones to Masonic Lodges across the country while some remained in the White House. Several of these marks were displayed in two reconstructed fireplaces on the Ground Floor.

This sketch by Lili Réthi shows the construction for the North Portico as seen from the east end of the White House. This work was part of President Harry S. Truman's large-scale 1948-1952 renovation of the White House.

This photograph by Abbie Rowe of the National Park Service shows the construction to extend the basement under the North Portico. This work was part of President Harry S. Truman's large-scale 1948-1952 renovation of the White House.

This photograph by Abbie Rowe of the National Park Service shows the lead engineers of the Truman Renovation. Pictured are Gen. Glenn E. Edgerton, Lorenzo S. Winslow, Harbin S. Chandler, Jr., and an unidentified man.

This photograph by Abbie Rowe of the National Park Service shows the south side of the White House under construction. This work was part of President Harry S. Truman's large-scale 1948-1952 renovation of the White House.

This photograph by Abbie Rowe of the National Park Service shows the exterior of the south side of the White House during construction. It shows material being removed from the interior of the house through existing window openings. This work was part of President Harry S. Truman's large-scale 1948-1952 renovation of the White House.

This photograph by Abbie Rowe of the National Park Service shows the excavation and expansion under the North Portico. The exposed rooms in the foreground were dug out in the 1930s for storage, but were replaced by larger rooms that today house the gardening staff and the bowling alley. This work was part of President Harry S. Truman's large-scale 1948-1952 renovation of the White House.

This photograph taken by Abbie Rowe of the National Park Service shows construction buildings on the White House South Grounds.

This photograph taken by Abbie Rowe of the National Park Service shows a south view of the White House during the Truman renovation.

This black and white photograph shows workers beginning to prepare the ground to lay the foundation of the East Terrace. The Treasury Building lays beyond the end of the White House grounds looking east.

This illustration by Jules Guerin was reproduced for a 1903 Century Magazine article on the Theodore Roosevelt renovation of the White House.

This black and white photograph by prominent Washington, D.C. photographer Barnett McFee Clinedinst shows scaffolding on the North Portico of the White House during a renovation. Clinedinst opened a photography studio in the capital with his father, and went on to become the official White House photographer for Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft, and Woodrow Wilson.

This photographs of the construction of the East Terrace was taken in 1902, during Theodore Roosevelt's administration. Soon after he assumed office, Roosevelt ordered a major White House renovation, establishing a design that has remained largely in place ever since. His plan included the reconstruction of the East Terrace, part of an earlier White House design that had been demolished. The terrace became part of the East Wing, which originally served as a visitor's entrance. This photograph appeared in a report to the Senate which provided an overview of the project. This is a black and white photograph developed into silver gelatin and platinotypes.

This black and white photograph is of the West Terrace under construction in 1902. Workmen are using a crane to move building materials on the roof. The west face of the White House is visible in the background.

This photograph of the North Portico stripped of paint was taken by Richard Cheek in 1984, during Ronald Reagan's presidency. Part of a major renovation project in advance of the White House bicentennial in 1992, the undertaking involved the removal of approximately 30 layers of paint.

This black and white photograph is of the West Terrace under construction in 1902. Workmen in white coveralls pose on top of a scaffold that runs along the columns of the terrace. The Old Executive Office Building is visible in the background.

This black and white photograph by Jack E. Boucher of the Historic American Buildings Survey is of the details of the restored Corinthian entablature above the columns of the North Portico.

This color photograph by Jack E. Boucher of the Historic American Buildings Survey shows the White House from outside the West Wing with scaffolding covering the south view of the White House during the restoration of the exterior stone work. The restoration of the stone began in 1980 and took 16 years to complete.

This photograph of the progress of renovations to the White House grounds was taken in November 1902, during Theodore Roosevelt's administration. Soon after he assumed office, Roosevelt obtained an appropriation for a major White House renovation that doubled the space allocated to the family living quarters, provided a new wing for the president and his staff, and a new area on the east for receiving guests. The White House and, with a few exceptions, much of the complex as we know it today reflects the design of 1902. This photograph appeared in a report to the Senate which provided an overview of the project. This is a black and white photograph developed into silver gelatin and platinotypes.

This color photograph is a detail of the ornamentation above the north door of the White House during the restoration of the exterior of the White House. The stone has been stripped of multiple layers of paint until the original surface is exposed. Following a two year report, the restoration project commenced in 1980 and was finally completed over 25 years later, in 1996.

This color photograph is of a column in the North Portico during the restoration of the exterior of the White House. The column and its base have been stripped of multiple layers of paint until the original stone is exposed. In the background, the White House itself is already restored to the pure white color. Following a two year report, the restoration project commenced in 1980 and was finally completed over 25 years later, in 1996.