Housing the World

Housing the World. Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park. The welcome mat at the Johnson home read, “All the World is Welcome here.” But as the house became an alternate White House it soon became clear there was not enough room. Describing the steady stream of visitors in her home, Lady Bird Johnson exclaimed, “These old walls are bursting at the seams!” , , Other houses on the ranch were soon pressed into service. Here visitors learned there was a world beyond the Potomac where cattle still roamed, and rivers flowed steadily into the future. , , These homes had more than a practical purpose. The Birthplace, Cedar Guest House, and others on the ranch were ideal places, away from the chaos of Washington, where leaders and staff could chart the course of the War on Poverty and the Great Society. , , (Middle Left Photo Caption) , Being a practical but also sentimental man, Lyndon Johnson often remodeled existing homes such as the Sam E. Johnson, Sr. farmhouse. Originally a dog-trot cabin, the home turned out to be an idyllic place for overnight visitors. , , (Bottom Left Photo Caption) , When needed, new guest homes were built. The Cedar Guest House provided lodging for such well-known figures as Walter Cronkite. , , (Right Photo Caption) , Lyndon Johnson demonstrates the water pump at his birthplace to Secretary of Labor Willard Wirtz (left) and Secretary of Commerce Luther Hodges (center), 1964.