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American President Donald Trump is finally getting his wall, but it is not along the southern border with Mexico. It is around the White House.
The White House fence is being rebuilt under the direction of the U.S. Secret Service and the National Park Service. The move comes after several security problems over the years, including a 2014 incident in which a Texas man climbed the fence. He was able to enter the White House without being stopped.
These days, a temporary white barrier interferes with tourists' view of the White House, as the building of the new fence continues.
The first part of the new barrier is already up. At almost four meters tall, it is nearly two times the size of the former fence. It is also equipped with anti-climb technology.
Everything, all the pieces, had to be beefed up, says Thomas Luebke. He is secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which advised the Secret Service and the Park Service on the design of the new fence.
The new fence is much different from the very first White House fence. It was made of wood and put up by Thomas Jefferson in the early 1800s. A few years later, he replaced the wooden fence with a stone wall. By 1819, parts of the fence were made of iron.
The early fences were designed to keep out animals, not people. Visitors often freely walked around the White House.
It was relatively easy to get inside and go upstairs to the second floor. That's where the president worked before the West Wing was built, says Matthew Costello. He is with the White House Historical Association.
President Abraham Lincoln had a doorway cut between his office and his private living area so that he could avoid the crowds waiting outside his office door.
For the new fence, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts worked to help balance security improvements to the new fence while keeping the barrier pleasant to look at.
You actually have to start rethinking the pieces, what they're made of, how well they work together, says Luebke.
The new fence is expected to be completed by 2021. I'm Susan Shand.
