White House

Wooden 7˝ x 3.5˝ x .5˝ axe-shaped whittled relic attributed to the White House, annotated on the 'blade' in ink, "This wood was taken out of the White House when it was remodled [sic] in summer of 1902." In fine condition.

After Theodore Roosevelt unexpectedly took office in 1901 following the assassination of President McKinley, he hired the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White to undertake a major renovation of the White House. He desired to return the building to its Federalist roots by removing the Victorian-era 'modernization' of the decor, much of which had resulted from a less substantial renovation overseen by Chester A. Arthur in 1873.

During the renovations in the summer and autumn of 1902, the interior of the White House was entirely stripped down to its plaster walls. The excess material was strewn outside the mansion to be disposed of later. Relic hunters inevitably swarmed the piles of wood, plaster, glass, curtains, and other remnants in order to have a piece of the historic home for themselves. Despite the apparent availability of such pieces in 1902, they have largely been lost to history; most of the few fragments of the original White House that are known were used to make some sort of souvenir, such as a small box, gavel, or, in this case, an axe.