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world fence news • june 2016 • 77 A history of the White House fence continued from page 74 President Jefferson envisioned the South Grounds as a private garden with serpentine walks and a lawn that extended to the Tiber Creek, edged by a flower border. At the southern end of the south lawn he built a "ha-ha," an eight-foot wall with a sunken ditch meant to keep livestock from grazing in the garden. 1818-1819: A new semicircular driveway marked by eight stone piers and an iron fence and gates was built across the north front of the White House. (Parts of the wrought-iron fence and stone piers still stand today on Pennsylvania Avenue, with replica gates made from reinforced metal in- stalled in 1976 for increased security.) The stone retaining wall to the south remained until 1873, and mis- chievous youths often painted their names on the wall. 1833: Long, low and heavy wrought iron fence was installed and ran along the top of the stone wall along the façade of the North Front. 1866 and 1871: East and West Executive Avenues were built on each side of the White House as public streets. In World War II, as a major se- curity measure, both West Executive and East Executive Avenues, which run close by each end of the White House, were closed to the public. West Executive Avenue, which runs between the White House and the Eisenhower Old Executive Office Building, was turned into a staff park- ing lot and never reopened. East Executive Avenue, which runs between the White House and the Treasury Department, was closed to traffic in 1986 and converted into a service road. 1873: President Ulysses Grant had an iron fence installed on the south side of the White House to con- trol large crowds that gathered for the New Years Day reception and other occasions. 1902: Andrew Jackson's 1833 iron railing along the North Portico was removed and replaced by a par- apet wall because architect Charles Follen McKim, in charge of restoring the White House, believed the railing was too intrusive and clumsy. 1937: The 1818 and 1873 wrought- iron fences were removed and re- placed by a steel fence topped by tall bronze spears. February 1, 1937: The $50,000 independent offices appropriations bill reported to the House of Repre- sentatives included an appropriation for $1,500 to repair and paint the White House fence. December 7, 1941: After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the start of World War II, the grounds were closed to all but those with ap- pointments and guarded at their pe- rimeters from newly installed gate- houses. The driveway was emptied and the custom of leaving calling cards at the North door was discontinued. September 18, 1942: As part of a Dept. of the Interior World War II scrap metal drive, 1,600 feet of iron spikes that had formed the White House fence that had been replaced in 1937 were taken by truck to a junk- yard to be scrapped. August 14, 1945: On V-J Day, President Truman shook hands through the White House fence with some of a crowd that had gathered outside. June-October 1965: As part of a $272,000 renovating project, the White House fence was reset into a new foundation of aquia sandstone left over from extension work on the U.S. Capitol east front. 1976: The 1818 wrought-iron gates on the Pennsylvania Avenue side of the White House were replaced by reinforced steel gates built to with- stand automobile crashes. November 1983: In response to the deadly attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, Jersey barriers (low concrete walls) were erected around the White House. March 1988: Thick 38-inch high concrete bollards joined by chains were placed four feet apart along the Pennsylvania Avenue sidewalk in front of the White House fence be- tween East and West Executive Av- enues as replacement for the Jersey barriers installed in 1983. May 21, 1995: Pennsylvania Av- enue in front of the White House was closed to all vehicular traffic, a re- sponse to the Oklahoma City bombing the previous month. November 2004: Pennsylva- nia Avenue became a new pedestri- an-friendly civic space where peo- ple could stroll and bicycle between Lafayette Park and the White House fence. July 2015: A removable an- ti-climb feature consisting of sharp metal points was installed on the top of the White House fence to deter and inhibit any attempts by individuals to climb over the fence. This is a temporary measure that will be in place until a long-term solu- tion is implemented. MEMBER 11 - 6 Gauge Up to 20 ft. heights 3/8" to 1" mesh Aluminized Galvanized PVC - Extruded Fuse Bonded Extruded Bonded P. O. Box CC • Norman, OK • 800-348-9473 • Visit us at www.southwesternwire.com