The vertical lines of this door recall the tall, Illinois rail-splitter who became the sixteenth president of the United States. The civil war that dominated his presidency also heralded the beginning of the Second Empire Baroque style of architecture.
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This door's window treatment and bold horizontal lines echo the Georgian-style layout of Madison's own estate, Montpelier. During this fourth president's second term in office, America's victory in the War of 1812 created an upsurge in nationalism, and Madison's buxom wife, Dolley, became the toast of Washington social life.
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The visually strong X-beam of this door complement Jackson's fiercely commanding reputation. America's seventh president was known for his brawls as a young man, but became a national hero when he defeated the British in New Orleans.
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It is appropriate that the angled beams on the exterior of this door can suggest both divisiveness and unification. For, while Grant's victory at Vicksburg during the Civil War split the Confederacy in two and began its demise, the magnanimous surrender terms he presented the Confederacy prevented treason trials and helped our nation heal.
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