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Abstract
The Kennedy White House restoration is quite possibly one of the most recognizable projects undertaken by a first family while in office. More than any other public building in the United States, the White House stands at the center of the nations public life and even the slightest changes are immediately recorded. This work is intended to make a case for the validity of the Kennedy White House restoration, while recognizing the forces that worked against the integrity of the project. While some elements of the final product certainly can be described as a redecoration, the overall goals of Mrs. Kennedys project were achievedto restore the historic integrity of the White House as a living museum and to provide protection henceforth. Mrs. Kennedys work also contributed to the restoration of interiors at other historic sites across the nation and to the national historic preservation movement, which was just beginning to take shape in the United States.