White House seeks to paint Eisenhower Executive Office Building white

The White House is pressing to cover the Eisenhower Executive Office Building’s gray granite in white paint, a change that could cost at least $7.5 million and alter one of the most prominent historic facades on the White House campus. The proposal is now under review as preservationists warn that painting the 19th-century landmark could do lasting damage to the stone itself.

Built between 1871 and 1888 as the State, War and Navy Department Building, the structure was designed by Alfred B. Mullett and has long been treated as part of the nation’s architectural record, not just federal office space. It is a National Historic Landmark and part of the Lafayette Square National Historic Landmark District. The building has never been painted since its completion in 1888.

Ryan Erb, a White House construction operations and facilities manager, told the National Capital Planning Commission that the administration was spearheading the project. The White House has said President Donald Trump wants all or most of the exterior painted, after repeatedly describing the granite as a “really bad color.” Administration officials have also said the exterior is stained and in “great disrepair.” A second option would leave the granite base unpainted while coating most of the rest of the building white.

The National Capital Planning Commission met Thursday, May 7, 2026, and asked for more information before advancing the proposal. Commissioners requested details on the type of paint, examples of paint used on exterior granite facades, other upgrades that were considered and an assessment of the visual and physical impact on the building and the surrounding Lafayette Square historic district. A staff report said the commission would need additional information for future review.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has argued that painting the granite facade in bright white could cause “irreversible physical harm.” The group warned that an impermeable coating could trap moisture inside the masonry and accelerate deterioration, concerns that go to the heart of whether the project is maintenance or cosmetic alteration.

The building’s history underscores the stakes. It became the Executive Office Building in 1949, was renamed for Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1999 and was rededicated in 2002. The General Services Administration has noted that a 1957 recommendation to demolish it and replace it with a modern office building was never carried out. Today, Trump’s paint plan is part of a broader overhaul of the White House complex that also includes the demolition of the East Wing for a planned 1,000-person ballroom and renovations to Lafayette Park.