Who doesn’t love an island getaway? Even presidents need a vacation from time to time. Kennedy enjoyed his free time on the Maine coast at Hyannis, Obama vacationed in his home state of Hawaii, and Trump spent plenty of time at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. However, for President Harry Truman, only the authentic, quirky, and under-the-radar Key West of the 1940s and ’50s would do.
During his time in office, President Truman and First Lady Bess enjoyed getting out of Washington. In 1946, he made his first trip to Key West and stayed in a building originally constructed for Navy personnel. The building had previously been used by President Taft in 1912 and Thomas Edison in 1918. Truman enjoyed his stay on the island and at this Little White House so much that he returned 11 more times during his presidency and five additional trips after. In total, Truman used the house for 175 days during his time in office.
Today, the Little White House has been restored to how it appeared in 1949 and provides a fantastic glimpse into the histories of the man and the island at the time. Because he spent so much time in Key West, the house was more than just a vacation residence — it served as a second White House away from Washington, D.C. Several important pieces of legislation were signed into law here, including an executive order requiring federal contractors to hire minorities and the 1948 Key West Accord, which reorganized the military and formed the modern Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force.
President Truman and his Little White House island getaway
Harry S. Truman served as the 33rd President of the United States at the end of World War II following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. His tenure in office was punctuated by the end of the war following the decision to use atomic weapons against Japan and the rebuilding of Europe and Japan following the war. After completing Roosevelt’s term in office, Truman was elected in 1948 and retired from politics in 1953.
The Navy has had a long presence in Key West since the early 1800s. Key West’s position on the Gulf Stream current, a major shipping lane, and where the Gulf meets the Atlantic, makes it strategically important. The island was pivotal in the Spanish-American and Civil Wars and key in anti-submarine operations in World War II. During this period, the modern Navy’s presence expanded in the Lower Keys, and Fleet Admiral Nimitz recommended the president recuperate from a cold in November 1946. Staying on the base enabled more security and privacy for the traveling president, his staff, the Secret Service, and reporters.
After his reelection, the Navy planned to build him a winter home, but Truman was a no-frills sort and said the existing house was perfectly adequate. The Navy instead hired decorators to remodel it. The museum opened in 1991, but it has also served as a presidential site visited by Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Carter, and Clinton. And even though you can visit and take away plenty of memories, the Secret Service does not allow photographs to be taken of the interior.
Planning your Key West island escape
