Herbert Hoover Birthplace Cottage reopened

Date: November 7, 2006
Contact: Adam Prato, [phone]

The Herbert Hoover Birthplace Cottage reopened on November 6, 2006. Herbert Hoover National Historic Site closed the cottage in June to remove lead paint from its exterior.

Artifacts representing furnishings contemporary to the Hoovers’ residency have returned to the Birthplace Cottage where visitors can once again see them in the context of the small two-room house. The furnishings include two pieces original to the Birthplace Cottage: the family’s cradle and high chair.

The deteriorated lead based exterior paint on the Herbert Hoover Birthplace Cottage, a National Historic Landmark and the primary resource of the park, needed to be replaced. The removal of 710 square feet of deteriorated exterior lead based paint mitigated an environmental concern. The cottage has been repainted lead-free paint. The paint removal was part of ongoing park-wide abatement projects to remove all deteriorated, peeling, and chipping lead based paint from historic buildings.

“Thank you to all of our visitors for their understanding and patience during the temporary closure,” said park Superintendent Cheryl A. Schreier.

Herbert Hoover National Historic Site and the Hoover Presidential Library and Museum are off I-80 at exit 254 in West Branch, Iowa. Both are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time.