The 2016 Official White House Christmas Ornament was unveiled last week featuring an antique fire truck to commemorate a fire that damaged the West Wing on Christmas Eve 1929.
President Hoover, the 31st President of the United States, was hosting a Christmas party for his staff and their children in the Entrance Hall of the East Wing when the fire was reported.
"As the big new 1927 Seagrave pumper of Engine 1, the first-due engine at the White House, roared through the front gates, Captain Edward O’Connor could already see fire behind the small attic windows of the West Wing," fire buff and U.S. Marine Col. Robert Debs Heinl, Jr. wrote. "So could Central Battalion Chief C. W. Gill as he sped westward along Pennsylvania Avenue. With Engine 1’s line stretched from the pumper to the front door of the Executive Offices, Chief Gill led the hosemen inside the smoke-charged building. Amid the heat and fumes, Gill called for Rescue Squad 1, in those days the only firemen with “smoke helmets” (respirator masks), to lead the way up the attic stairs. As they advanced the hose line into the attic, the atmosphere grew thick and heavy. Suddenly a rush of hot gas, a blast of heat, and a fireball of flame whooshed into the stair well, blowing Chief Gill and most of his crew down to the main floor."
The four-alarm fire destroyed the West Wing and brought 150 firefighters to the scene. No injuries were reported.
“The 2016 ornament honors a significant moment in White House history that is an often forgotten moment of Hoover’s presidency,” White House Historical Association President Stewart McLaurin said. “We wanted to create an ornament that continues the beautiful aesthetic tradition of the past 36 years and also honors the hundreds of firefighters that heroically fought the Christmas Eve blaze.”
During Christmas 1930 President Hoover and his wife, First Lady Lou Henry Hoover presented the children with toy fire trucks as gifts.
A few days after the fire, Hoover wrote the following to Chief Engineer George Watson.
"My dear Chief Watson :
I want you to know of my appreciation of the excellent service rendered by you and the men of your Department during and following the fire in the Executive Office on Christmas Eve. It was a fine piece of work and I thank you sincerely for all your efforts.
Yours faithfully,
Herbert Hoover"
The fire truck is the 36th official ornament to remember past presidents and historical White House anniversaries.
Montserrat College of Art student Kayla Whelan came up with the design for the ornament, which can be purchased at the association's stores in D.C., or online at Shop.WhiteHouseHistory.org.
