The White House is the United States’s most important residence since it is home to the president and host to international dignitaries. The site of signed treaties and proclamations, the building has played a pivotal role in American history. It is also an accredited historic house museum with an unparalleled collection of fine and decorative arts, more than 60,000 pieces, that tells the history of generations of residents and guests as well as the country as a whole.
The White House Historical Association collaborates with the White House to preserve and exhibit its contents. This private, nonprofit, educational organization was founded in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy; it is one of many examples of the integral role first ladies have played in maintaining and restoring the nation’s cultural heritage at the White House.
