The removal of the White House East Wing during construction of a new ballroom ordered by Donald Trump also erased a historic feature tied to the legacy of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
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The Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, established in 1965, was dismantled during the project. Its pergola, designed by architect I. M. Pei, has been placed in storage while trees from the site were transferred to nurseries for preservation.
The garden had been created during the administration of Lyndon B. Johnson and dedicated by first lady Lady Bird Johnson to honor Jacqueline Kennedy’s work preserving and restoring the White House.
The decision has drawn criticism from historians and preservation specialists who argue that the redesign disrupts longstanding features of the White House landscape.
New garden plans unveiled
Design proposals presented to the National Capital Planning Commission outline a new garden replacing the original site while extending alongside the planned 89,000-square-foot ballroom.
According to landscape architect Rick Parisi, the redesigned space will include a grand staircase, a circular brick patio built with bricks from Mount Vernon, granite pathways and ornamental plant beds.
Four holly topiary trees from the former garden will remain, while a fountain from the original layout will be relocated into the new design.
Plans also alter the driveway along the White House South Lawn, narrowing part of its circular route to accommodate the ballroom structure.
Parisi said the project aims to recreate elements of the previous garden’s appearance through symmetrical plantings and expanded landscaping.
Experts challenge historic changes
Preservation specialists say the redesign departs from established planning guidelines that have shaped the White House grounds for decades.
Much of the landscaping around the building follows the Olmsted Plan created by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.. The plan organized the grounds around curved and elliptical pathways.
Critics say the proposed driveway redesign disrupts that layout.
Priya Jain of the Heritage Conservation Committee of the Society of Architectural Historians told the commission the sharp bend introduced in the new driveway contrasts with the historically curved pathways.
Charles Birnbaum, president of the The Cultural Landscape Foundation, said the proposal conflicts with long-standing federal guidelines governing historic landscapes.
Birnbaum previously coordinated the National Park Service Historic Landscape Initiative and authored guidance used to evaluate such projects.
He said the changes sever key visual and spatial relationships that have shaped the grounds for decades.
Garden tied to Kennedy legacy
The original garden traced its origins to 1962, when John F. Kennedy proposed creating a landscaped space along the east side of the White House.
Landscape designer Rachel Lambert Mellon developed the project with Jacqueline Kennedy, envisioning a lawn bordered by linden trees with space for recreation and small plantings.
Following Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Lady Bird Johnson resumed the project and dedicated the garden in Jacqueline Kennedy’s honor.
For decades, the site remained part of public tours of the White House and served as a space where presidents and their families spent time outdoors.
The garden’s removal occurred when the East Wing was demolished for the ballroom project, ending its presence on the grounds.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 26 March 2026