The house was originally on the waterfront when it was built in 1890 as the first officer's quarters on the U.S. naval station. The house was designed in 1889 by Scott, McDermott & Higgs, a local architectural firm. The wooden duplex contained Quarters A for the base commandant and Quarters B for the paymaster. In 1911, the building was converted into a single-family dwelling to house the base commandant, and additional land was filled in front of the house. The waterfront view was eventually blocked by a new building at the station. The first President to visit the site was
William Howard Taft in December 1912. He arrived by Flagler's
Overseas Railroad and stayed in Key West before sailing to Panama to inspect the canal then under construction. During
World War I,
Thomas Edison resided in the house while donating his service to the war effort.
Post-Truman government use In 1948–1949 General
Dwight D. Eisenhower held a series of meetings that resulted in the creation of the Department of Defense. He returned in December 1955 and January 1956 as President to recuperate from a heart attack. In January 2005, former President
Bill Clinton and his wife, then Senator
Hillary Clinton, spent a weekend relaxing at the house. ==See also==