Key West in Monroe County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Little White House

Photographed by Craig Swain, December 31, 2009

1. The Little White House Marker

Inscription. Built in 1890 as quarters for Navy officers, the Little White House later was used by American Presidents William Howard Taft, Harry S. Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Truman used the facility as a vacation home and functioning White House between 1946 and 1952. National legislation was drafted and official government business was conducted daily from the site. Perhaps the most important of these actions occurred on December 5, 1951, when Truman enacted a Civil Rights Executive Order requiring federal contractors to hire minorities. The house is considered the birthplace of the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force as a result of the Key West Accords of 1948. President Eisenhower used the site in 1956 while recuperating from a heart attack. In 1961, the house was the venue for a summit between President Kennedy and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan during the Bay of Pigs incident. Kennedy returned in 1962 after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Secretary of State Colin Powell and foreign leaders held an international summit here in 2001. The Little White House was listed

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on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Erected 2005 by The Key West Harry S. Truman Foundation, Historic Tours of America, Inc., and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-546.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Civil Rights • Government & Politics • Military • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #27 William Howard Taft, the Former U.S. Presidents: #33 Harry S. Truman, the Former U.S. Presidents: #34 Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Former U.S. Presidents: #35 John F. Kennedy, the Former U.S. Presidents: #39 James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr., and the Former U.S. Presidents: #42 William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1816.

Location. 24° 33.389′ N, 81° 48.4′ W. Marker is in Key West, Florida, in Monroe County. It is at the intersection of Front Street and Caroline Street, on the right when traveling south on Front Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Key West FL 33040, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, August 8, 2019

2. The Little White House Marker

on the Florida Keys.

It is also in the American South

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named The Little White House (here, next to this marker); Truman's Little White House (within shouting distance of this marker); Naval Station (within shouting distance of this marker); The Key West Naval Station (within shouting distance of this marker); The Presidential Gates (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Pan American Airways (about 500 feet away); Birthplace of Pan American World Airways (about 500 feet away); Steam Power (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Key West.

Also see . . . Truman Little White House. (Submitted on July 4, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)

Photographed by Howard C. Ohlhous, August 8, 2019

3. The Little White House Marker

December 31, 2009

4. The Little White House Marker

The Harry S. Truman Little White House image. Click for full size.

December 31, 2009

5. The Harry S. Truman Little White House

Additional markers image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Patrick Duggan

6. Additional markers

Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 4, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,821 times since then and 85 times this year. Last updated on July 5, 2010, by William J. Toman of Green Lake, Wisconsin. Photos: 1. submitted on July 4, 2010. 2, 3. submitted on August 14, 2019, by Howard C. Ohlhous of Duanesburg, New York. 4, 5. submitted on July 4, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 6. submitted on July 10, 2025, by Patrick Duggan of Los Angeles, California.