Winterville commission condemns destruction of White House’s East Wing
- Classic City News
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read

Issued today by the commission:
The Historic Preservation Commission of Winterville, Georgia roundly condemns the ongoing demolition of the White House’s East Wing that first rose to national attention on October 20, 2025. The building located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is perhaps the most-recognized structure in the United States, if not the world, and the careless destruction of this site over the past 48 hours represents a dark step toward the erasure of the American cultural landscape by the sitting president, Donald J. Trump.
While the sight of the White House’s ruined eastern façade is a shocking visual affront to the senses, it is also a legal affront to America itself. By acting unilaterally to order the destruction of one third of the White House complex, President Trump has chosen to violate a slew of laws and statues that are designed to protect American cultural heritage, namely:
39 Stat. 535; 16 U.S.C. 1, 2, 3, and 4: AN ACT To establish a national Park Service, and for other purposes. (1916)
Public Law 87-286: AN ACT Concerning the White House and providing for the care and preservation of its historic and artistic contents. (1961)
Public Law 89-665: AN ACT To establish a program for the preservation of additional historic properties throughout the nation, and for other purposes. (1966)
Executive Order 11593: Protection and Enhancement of the Cultural Environment. (1971)
Comprehensive Design Plan for the White House and President’s Park. (2000)
Foundation Document for the White House and President’s Park. (2014)
In addition to violating these laws, President Trump has chosen to ignore his legal requirement to consult with the National Park Service, General Services Administration, White House Historical Association, Committee for the Preservation of the White House, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, National Capital Planning Commission, and the US Commission of Fine Arts regarding changes to the White House property. Thoughtful historic preservation is a delicate task that requires the input of every stakeholder who claims a cultural link to a site, and bypassing the legal and ethical processes designed to recognize all voices betrays an arrogance entirely at odds with the concept of shared heritage.
The White House is the single most significant structure in what is formally called President’s Park, and the callous disregard for this symbolic representation of American democracy is a blasphemy toward the common property of the American people. Winterville sits nearly 600 miles from Washington DC, yet every one of our residents has as much ownership in the White House as its current resident. Instead of recognizing that incredible fact, the irreversibly shattered face of the building’s historic East Wing stands as testament to a glaring contempt for American heritage and American values.
While we could urge other heritage professionals, historians, and preservationists to echo this condemnation, it is our opinion that this call should instead be made to all Americans, regardless of the differences which separate them in this highly polarized time. The White House – also called the People’s House – is a common property belonging to every citizen of this land, and its indifferent destruction on the orders of one individual should be an urgent cause for alarm to all Americans.