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The White House
- The Red Room
Originally called the Music Room, this is where Dolley Madison
held her famous piano sing-a-longs. The First Lady invited guests
to participate in the events usually held on Wednesday nights.
The Red Room is decorated in the Empire
Style dating back to the period of 1810-1830.
Today the parlor is used mainly by
the president as a sitting room or the site for small intimate
dinner parties.
The Gilbert Stuart painting of George
Washington adorned the Red Room in the early years thus leading
guests to refer to it as the Washington parlor.
The Red Room holds an unusual place
in history as it became the scene of the swearing- in of President-elect
Rutherford Hayes in 1877.
Hayes lost the popular and electoral
vote in the election on 1876 to Samuel Tilden of New York, but
a 15 member panel assembled by Congress overturned the election
in favor of Hayes.
President Grant, fearful of a disruption
at the inauguration, convinced Hayes to take the Oath of Office
the night before the ceremonies in the Red Room.
There was no incident at the inauguration.
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