Built in 1890 on the waterfront as a two-family dwelling for the base
commandant and paymaster, this building was known as Quarters A and B.
It served as command headquarters during the Spanish American War. In
order to accommodate the larger scale ships, the harbor was dredged in 1909 and the land filled in front of the house. It was converted into a
single-family residence in 1911. President William Howard Taft visited this site in December 1912. Scientist Edward Hayden served as base commander from 1912 to 1915 and was involved in hurricane research. In
1918, inventor Thomas Edison lived here for six months while inventing
41 new weapons for the war effort.

During World War II, the Key West Naval Station was heavily involved in
protecting Allied shipping in the Straits of Florida. A number of Allied
ships and German U-boats were sunk off Key West. The Fleet Sonar school, Underwater Swimmers School, later known as Scuba, and Underwater Explosives School were headquartered at the Key West Naval Station. Detachments included surface craft, submarines and the Naval Air
Station. Beginning in November 1946,President Truman used this house for 175 days as his Winter White House during his administration of 1945
-1953. He spent 11 working vacations here and the building became known as the Little White House. In 1948, the Joint Chiefs of Staff met at
this house to create the Department of Defense by merging the Department of War and Department of the Navy.

While here, President Truman discussed the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe, the Truman Doctrine that changed American foreign policy, the
recognition of the State of Israel. He wrote his fourth Civil Rights
Executive Order requiring federal contractors hire minorities and he drafted a letter that called for a two week cease fire in Korea. The reaction of General Douglas MacArthur to this letter led to his dismissal as Allied Commander. While insisting he was on vacation, the President ultimately confessed in a family letter he was signing his name 200 to 600 times a day to official business...the work of the president never ends , it just follows him.

President Truman made 5 post-presidential visits to Key West between
1957 and 1969. Each time visiting his former Little White House, but
staying in a private residence in town.

President Dwight Eisenhower used the house for meetings in December 1955 and January 1956 while he recovered from a heart attack.

President John F. Kennedy used this site for a summit meeting with
British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan on March 26, 1961 just 23 days before the Bay of Pigs. On November 26,1962 he returned following the Cuban missile crisis for an inspection tour.

In April, 1972, King Hussein I of Jordan was a guest of RADM John Maurer.

The Navy base was named the Truman Annex in 1973 following the death of President Truman in December 1972. The Little White House was
individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 12, 1974 by the US Department of the Interior. On March 31, 1974, this portion of the base closed .

For twelve years the property was abandoned. In 1986 the Truman Annex
including the Little White House, was sold by the government to Pritam
Singh, a developer from Maine. On January 1,1987, Mr. Singh transferred
this property to the State of Florida in exchange for certain easements
and development rights. It is held in trust by the state for the citizens of the world. Over the next three years, Mr. Singh privately funded and directed the restoration of the building and the grounds to reflect the Truman era. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Drettman of Grosse Point, Michigan became major benefactors in the 1990s. In 1996, President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter used the house for a family gathering. In 1999, Historic Tours of America (r), headquartered in Key West, entered into an agreement with the State of Florida to help continue the restoration and became a major donor and corporate sponsor of this important historic site.

On April 2-6, 2001, Secretary of State Colin Powell opened peace talks
in this house between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In 2005, President Bill and Senator Hillary Clinton used the house as a
weekend retreat.

In December 2007, former President Jimmy Carter and family returned for
a visit.

Its place in history is ongoing. Its future, however, lies in the hands of citizens who care. You, too, can become a part of our history through your contributions.