The Blair House

La famila materna de Montgomery Clift eran los Blair, acaudalada familia que tuvo entre sus miembros varios políticos del gabinete del presidente Abraham Lincoln y generales que lucharon en la Guerra de Secesión.

Actualmente, el edificio que acoge a los invitados de la Casa Blanca se llama The Blair House.

Welcome to the Blair House

En el inicio de la web, recogen esta frase de Montgomery Blair (bisabuelo del actor, ver post):

"The house is magnificent in appareance and everybody agrees that it is now the finest and most complete of any inthe city"

* Blair family:

Francis Preston Blair y su esposa Eliza Violet Gist

The Blair family was politically active and powerfully connected from the moment they arrived in Washington, D.C. Francis Preston Blair was a journalist from Frankfort, Kentucky, and his editorials in support of the fledgling administration of President Andrew Jackson attracted the president's attention. Jackson invited Blair to move to Washington and become editor of the pro-administration newspaper the Globe. In 1830 the Blair family (Francis Preston Blair, his wife Eliza and their three children) moved to the nation's capital, and in 1837 they took up residence in the home that became known as the Blair House.In his role as the editor of the Globe, Francis Preston Blair held a great deal of political power. He was also the most influential member of the informal group of advisors known as President Jackson's "Kitchen Cabinet." When Martin Van Buren succeeded Andrew Jackson as president, Francis Preston Blair remained an important advisor and confidant to the new president.With the election of President James Polk, however, Francis Preston Blair was forced out as the publisher of the Globe. He sold the paper at a profit and moved for several years to another home in Silver Spring, Maryland. From 1845 until 1852 Blair House was leased, with tenants including Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft and Secretary of the Interior Thomas Ewing.The Blairs took occupancy again in 1852, and in 1854 Francis Preston Blair's eldest son, Montgomery, returned from practicing law in Missouri and moved into the home. He served as Postmaster General under President Abraham Lincoln, who also counted Francis Preston Blair as a trusted friend and informal advisor.In 1859 Francis Preston Blair built 1653 Pennsylvania Avenue for his daughter Elizabeth Blair Lee and her husband, Admiral Samuel Phillips Lee. This home, known as Lee House, is today an integral part of the Blair House complex.


* Blair House:


The original Blair House was built in 1824. We describe it as the original Blair House because it is the Pennsylvania Avenue home into which Francis Preston Blair and his family moved in 1837. What is today known as Blair House is in fact the combination of that original home and three other handsome townhouses. While they appear from the outside to be independent of one another, the four homes are connected internally.Together, the complex is larger than the White House, with 119 rooms and total area of 70,000 square feet. There are 14 guest bedrooms, eight staff bedrooms, 35 bathrooms, four dining rooms, kitchen facilities, laundry and dry cleaning facilities, an exercise room, a flower shop, and a fully equipped hair salon. Blair House strives to be comfortable, discreet and secure, and to provide any service that a visiting dignitary might require.Political significanceBlair House was a politically significant location almost from the moment the Blair family took up residence. In his role as the publisher of the Globe newspaper, Blair lived a highly political life, and a number of presidents—including Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren and Abraham Lincoln—found his advice, counsel and insight very valuable.Today, Blair House remains politically important, but in a different way. Since 1942, it has served the nation as a guest house for heads of state visiting the White House. In this role it plays a crucial part in American foreign policy. An invitation to visit the United States and stay at Blair House is an extraordinary honor for a foreign head of state, and the staff at Blair House works tirelessly to ensure that the visit is gracious, comfortable, and conveys the honor to which any head of state—a president, a prime minister, or a reigning monarch—is entitled. In fact, during a foreign leader's stay at Blair House, the flag of that leader's nation flies over Blair House, and Blair House serves as a de facto diplomatic mission of that nation.This courtesy helps to make a visit—whether a ceremonial appearance or a matter of truly global significance—a comfortable experience for our nation's official guests. In the context of American foreign affairs, the comfort of a stay at Blair House can actually be a matter of national importance!


Almost since the day it was built, Blair House has been a part of American and world history. The events discussed on this website are remarkably varied, and include matters of national and international importance. While these events are very different, they share significant connections to the history of this home, and the people who have lived and worked here.Use the navigation to the left to explore different historical events related to Blair House


Like those in any home, the rooms of Blair House have long served both formal and informal roles. They combine warmth, comfort, privacy and security; for more than 180 years these spaces have provided residents and visitors with agreeable surroundings for decisions large and small. Many rooms in the home have in fact become closely associated with historic events and historic personalities.The furnishings, objects and artwork in these rooms are in many cases as significant as the rooms themselves. When the United States Government purchased Blair House in 1942, the acquisition included a significant portion of the furnishings and artwork used in the house. This original collection has been supplemented through private donations to and acquisitions by the private non-profit Blair House Restoration Fund. Donations are also received through the State Department’s Office of Fine Arts.The navigation at left includes listings of specific rooms in Blair House as well as select objects and artwork from the collection—including furnishings, paintings, documents and more.

* Francis Preston Blair Sr. (tatarabuelo)
* Montgomery Blair (bisabuelo)