In East Wing's demise, learning moments arise

White House history buff sees silver lining in 'jarring' demolition to add posh ballroom.

- BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE

THE WHITE HOUSE'S East Wing was demolished to make way for a grand ballroom to entertain guests.

(ALEX WONG Getty Images)

Stewart McLaurin knew it was coming.

An entire wing of the White House, a building he calls "the most special, important building on the planet," was going to be replaced to make way for a ballroom that President Trump wants to add to the building.

But when McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Assn., saw the first images of backhoes tearing into the East Wing, it still came as a bit of a shock.

"When the reality of things happen, they strike us a little bit differently than the theory of things happening, so it was a bit of a jarring moment," McLaurin told the Associated Press in an interview Tuesday.

McLaurin, who has led the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for more than a decade, did not take a position on the changes. It's not his job. "Ours is not to make happen, or to keep from happening - but to document what does happen, what happens in this great home that we call the White House," he said.

But he said he sees a silver lining from the "jarring" images: They have piqued public interest in White House history.

"What has happened since then is so amazing in that in the past two weeks, more people have been talking about White House history, focused on White House history, learning what is an East Wing, what is the West Wing ... what are these spaces in this building that we simply call the White House," McLaurin said.

Trump demolishes the East Wing

The general public became aware of the demolition work on Oct. 20 after photos of construction equipment ripping into the building began to circulate online, prompting an outcry from Democrats, preservationists and others.