second floor virtual tour

Behind the scenes of the second floor of the Truman Home

HARRY S TRUMAN NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

FROM THE SECOND FLOOR

SCENES

WHY IS THE SECOND FLOOR CLOSED?When Bess Truman passed away in 1982, her will left her home to the United States of America, with one important stipulation: that during the life of daughter Margaret, the area above the first floor would not be available to the public.

While Margaret never stayed in the home after her parents’ deaths, the National Park Service upheld the conditions of the will.

Margaret Truman Daniel passed away on January 29, 2008. While Bess Truman’s concern for her daughter’s privacy is no longer an issue, the second floor remains closed due to preservation and accessibility issues. At this time there are no plans to open the second floor to the public.

Margaret Truman Daniel


Installed in 1885, the home’s ornatewalnut staircase leads to the private quarters of 219 N. Delaware.

Main Staircase


Central Hall

The White House carpenters presented Mrs. Truman the large cupboard made from salvaged wood from the White House renovation.

Hall area contains Bess’s desk and other family pieces. The staircase leads to the third floor attic.


Installed around 1954, this blue porcelain washbasin replaced an earlier marble sink.

Truman BedroomBess moved into this room as a teenager. After their marriage in 1919, Harry and Bess shared this room before, during, and after their time in the White House.

Master Bedroom


Bess’s mother, Madge Gates Wallace, occupied this room until moving downstairs in the late 1930s. It was later used by family members including Margaret.

This RCA Television, a gift from Margaret to her parents, was originally used downstairs until 1970.

A passageway connected the Trumans’ bedroom with this room.

Margaret’s Room (1924-1942)


Margaret’s small childhood bedroom was later used as Bess’s dressing room.

Second Floor Bath


The second floor bath was renovated around 1940. The old-fashioned, claw-foot tub was removed and the present blue porcelain tub, commode, and sink were installed. Plastic floor tiling was added and later covered with blue carpeting.Mr. Truman tripped on the

threshold of the second floor bathroom in 1964. Although he suffered no permanent injuries, this marked the beginning of his rapid decline in health during the last eight years of his life.

Dressing Room


Harry used this small bedroom as a dressing room. His collection of argyle socks, 400 ties, 96 pairs of shoes, monogrammed handkerchiefs and Top Brass cologne were left untouched by Bess following his death.

One of Harry’s valets for ties and accessories was made from White House material salvaged during the 1949-1952 renovation.

Sitting/Storage Room


Located above the kitchen, and accessible from the back stairs, the sitting room was originally used for sewing and reading and later for storage.Upon leaving the White House, the

Trumans belongings were shipped back to Independence in a variety of crates. Always thrifty, the Trumans re-purposed wood from the crates into shelving.


Used by various Wallace and Truman family members, and later Margaret as a young adult until her marriage to Clifton Daniel in 1956.

Margaret’s Room (1942-1956)

The room utilizes furniture bought by the family for Margaret’s use during their stay in the White House.

Attic


The Trumans were thrifty people who kept everything. The attic on the third floor held many family treasures, furniture, and old newspapers. The National Park Service spent several years cataloging the thousands of objects left by the family

Back StairsConnected to the kitchen, the informal back stairs lead up to the second floor sitting/storage room.


Sleeping Porch


Located off of the Trumans’ bedroom, the screened sleeping porch offered relief on a warm summer evening.

The Second Floor TodayThe museum collection at Harry S Truman NHS is a time capsule of personal items that once belonged to the Truman family. Thousands of personal items and furnishings remain in the home. Beginning in 2009, the curatorial staff carefully inventoried, packed and moved many of the contents of each second floor room in preparation for ongoing preservation work.

Overall, park service curatorial staff have spent more than 20 years cataloging artifacts from the Truman Home, which allows park staff and researchers to learn more about the Truman family and how they lived. More information about these objects can be found online.

www.nps.gov/hstrfacebook.com/HarrySTrumanNHS

second floor virtual tour

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