Preservationists Seek Court Order to Halt White House Paint Tests on Historic Eisenhower Building

Preservation advocates filed a fresh request for a preliminary injunction, asking Judge Dabney Friedrich to stop the Trump administration’s paint-testing program on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building adjacent to the White House. The motion, brought by Cultural Heritage Partners, its founders Greg Werkheiser and Marion Werkheiser, and the DC Preservation League, contends that the White House is sidestepping the congressional procedures that safeguard historic structures.

The administration argues that decades of soot and bird droppings have compromised the granite, making painting the only viable remedy, and intends to test a white mineral silicate paint on a limited section while removing stone pieces for off-site analysis. The testing could commence by Monday if the court does not issue an order. The legal dispute also raises questions about whether the White House improperly assumed control of the project from the General Services Administration, which normally oversees the building. Judge Friedrich, a Trump-appointed judge for the District of Columbia, will decide whether to halt the paint trials pending further litigation.