Souvenirs:

One of the duties of the Commission was the disposition of material removed from the White House. They divided the articles and materials into four groups:

1. Articles of historical importance (such as mantelpieces) were allocated to museums and other institutions for display to the public
2. Articles that could be used for practical purposes but had no historical value (such as radiators) were sent to governmental agencies for use in their regular work
3. Articles and materials that were primarily important because of their sentimental association with the White House (bricks, timbers, stones, etc.) were to be sold as souvenirs. Members of the general public could send in an "Application For A Memento of the White House" to purchase souvenirs for their estimated cost of distribution.
4. Material of no use or value was destroyed

   The plan for disposition of materials was designed to be entirely self-supporting. In fact, due to the popularity of the small souvenirs, receipts exceeded the expectations by about $10,000!

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