Blair House
The President’s Guest House
AN ELEGANT SETTING REFLECTING OUR COUNTRY’S HISTORY
Furnished with fine antique furniture, objects, and art, Blair House is carefully curated to portray the history, values, and hospitality of the nation. The home is maintained by the U.S. Department of State and the General Services Administration. Interior décor, furnishings, and heritage collections are supported through financial and in-kind contributions to the Blair House Foundation.
A storied political history
Built as a private home in 1824, Blair House has played an important role in 200 years of American political, diplomatic and cultural history—from Andrew Jackson’s “Kitchen Cabinet,” to private chats with Abraham Lincoln, to Harry S. Truman’s crucial leadership as World War II ended and the Cold War began. Now, as then, U.S. Presidents continue to rely on Blair House as a significant foreign policy tool.
Diplomacy In Action
Located across from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, Blair House has served as the President’s Guest House since its purchase by the U.S. government during World War II. Under the stewardship of the Department of State, it welcomes visiting heads of state, ambassadors, and other notables in gracious, secure surroundings in the heart of the nation’s capital.
General Charles De Gaulle | President Harry S. Truman, First Lady Bess Truman and family | Charles De Gaulle, President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic | Dr. Chaim Weizmann, President of the Provisional Government of Israel | Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, his daughter Indira Gandhi, and entourage | President Harry S. Truman and his daughter Margaret Truman Daniel | Ferdinand Marcos, President of the Republic of the Philippines, and First Lady Imelda Marcos | His Royal Highness Edward, Duke of Windsor and the Duchess of Windsor | The Honorable Lyndon Baines Johnson, Former President of the United States of America | The Honorable Nihat Erim, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey | His Majesty Hussein I, King of the Hashemite, Kingdom of Jordan | Her Excellency Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel | His Excellency Nguyen Van Thieu, President of the Republic of Vietnam | His Excellency William R. Tolbert, President of the Republic of Liberia |
General Charles De Gaulle | President Harry S. Truman, First Lady Bess Truman and family | Charles De Gaulle, President of the Provisional Government of the French Republic | Dr. Chaim Weizmann, President of the Provisional Government of Israel | Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, his daughter Indira Gandhi, and entourage | President Harry S. Truman and his daughter Margaret Truman Daniel | Ferdinand Marcos, President of the Republic of the Philippines, and First Lady Imelda Marcos | His Royal Highness Edward, Duke of Windsor and the Duchess of Windsor | The Honorable Lyndon Baines Johnson, Former President of the United States of America | The Honorable Nihat Erim, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey | His Majesty Hussein I, King of the Hashemite, Kingdom of Jordan | Her Excellency Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel | His Excellency Nguyen Van Thieu, President of the Republic of Vietnam | His Excellency William R. Tolbert, President of the Republic of Liberia |
His Excellency Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel | His Excellency Anwar El-Sadat, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt | His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza, Shah of Iran | Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | The Honorable James Carter, President-elect of the United States of America | The Honorable Ronald Reagan, President-elect of the United States of America and Mrs. Reagan | His Majesty Hussein I, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Queen Noor | His Excellency Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt | President Ronald Wilson Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan | François Mitterrand, President of the French Republic | Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | The Honorable George Herbert Walker Bush, President-elect of the United States of America and family | Carlos Salinas de Gortari, President of the United Mexican States | His Excellency Guillermo Endara Galimany, President of the Republic of Panama | Frederik Willem de Klerk, State President of The Republic of South Africa | Shaikh Jabir Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait |
His Excellency Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel | His Excellency Anwar El-Sadat, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt | His Imperial Majesty Mohammad Reza, Shah of Iran | Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | The Honorable James Carter, President-elect of the United States of America | The Honorable Ronald Reagan, President-elect of the United States of America and Mrs. Reagan | His Majesty Hussein I, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and Queen Noor | His Excellency Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt | President Ronald Wilson Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan | François Mitterrand, President of the French Republic | Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | The Honorable George Herbert Walker Bush, President-elect of the United States of America and family | Carlos Salinas de Gortari, President of the United Mexican States | His Excellency Guillermo Endara Galimany, President of the Republic of Panama | Frederik Willem de Klerk, State President of The Republic of South Africa | Shaikh Jabir Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait |
The Right Honorable Tony Blair, M.P., Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Their Majesties King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sofia | His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco | President-elect George W. Bush, Laura Bush, George H. W. Bush, Barbara Bush | Hamid Karzai, Chairman of the Interim Administration of Afghanistan | Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel | Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria | Vicente Fox, President of the United Mexican States | Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan | Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation | Pervez Musharraf, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan | Mohammed VI, King of Morocco | Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China | Nancy Reagan, Former First Lady | His Excellency Nouri al-Maliki, Prime Minister of Iraq | His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait | His Excellency Hamid Karzai, the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | Mrs. Elizabeth B. Ford | Her Excellency Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany | Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | Nambaryn Enkhbayar, President of Mongolia | The Honorable Barack Obama, President-elect of the United States of America and Mrs. Obama | His Excellency Shimon Peres, President of the State of Israel |
The Right Honorable Tony Blair, M.P., Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Their Majesties King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sofia | His Majesty Mohammed VI, King of Morocco | President-elect George W. Bush, Laura Bush, George H. W. Bush, Barbara Bush | Hamid Karzai, Chairman of the Interim Administration of Afghanistan | Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel | Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria | Vicente Fox, President of the United Mexican States | Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan | Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation | Pervez Musharraf, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan | Mohammed VI, King of Morocco | Wen Jiabao, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China | Nancy Reagan, Former First Lady | His Excellency Nouri al-Maliki, Prime Minister of Iraq | His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait | His Excellency Hamid Karzai, the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | Mrs. Elizabeth B. Ford | Her Excellency Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany | Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | Nambaryn Enkhbayar, President of Mongolia | The Honorable Barack Obama, President-elect of the United States of America and Mrs. Obama | His Excellency Shimon Peres, President of the State of Israel |
His Excellency Lech Walesa, President of the Republic of Poland | Javier Perez de Cuellar, Secretary General of the United Nations | Queen Elizabeth II of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic | Boris Yeltsin, President of the Russian Federation | President-elect William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton | President-elect William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton | Their Majesties, The Emperor and Empress of Japan | The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States of America | His Excellency Mohammad Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt | Mr. Nelson Mandela, President of the Republic of South Africa | Her Excellency Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan | His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel | His Excellency Jiang Zemin, President of the People’s Republic of China |
His Excellency Lech Walesa, President of the Republic of Poland | Javier Perez de Cuellar, Secretary General of the United Nations | Queen Elizabeth II of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh | Vaclav Havel, President of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic | Boris Yeltsin, President of the Russian Federation | President-elect William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton | President-elect William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton | Their Majesties, The Emperor and Empress of Japan | The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States of America | His Excellency Mohammad Hosni Mubarak, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt | Mr. Nelson Mandela, President of the Republic of South Africa | Her Excellency Benazir Bhutto, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan | His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel | His Excellency Jiang Zemin, President of the People’s Republic of China |
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About the Blair House Foundation
Founded in 1985, the Blair House Foundation is a charitable, tax-exempt, non-partisan organization committed to raising private funds from across the nation to create and maintain the beautiful rooms, gardens, and amenities of Blair House.
Government funding supports the staffing and structural needs of Blair House, but it is the Foundation’s responsibility to preserve and refresh the furnishings, décor, fine arts, and gardens. Through the generosity of American individuals, foundations, and corporations, the Foundation is able to ensure Blair House remains a beautiful and welcoming home away from home for world leaders.
