Located within the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum are many historical pieces connected to our 37th President of the Unites States. Located in the Museum part of the building is a replica of the Lincoln Sitting Room, one of many rooms at the White House in Washington D.C. There are many placards that highlight this room and read:
The Lincoln Sitting Room
"It is the smallest room in the White House and my favorite."
-Richard Nixon
"In the White House, next to the Lincoln bedroom which used to be President Lincoln's office, is the Lincoln Sitting Room. Located at the southeast corner of the executive mansion's second floor, the room was little used until the mid 19th-century. English novelist Charles Dickens, writing about a visit to the White House during the Tyler administration, reported with surprise that the room was actually used as the President's office, although unimpressive in both size and furnishings. The room later doubled as a bedroom and office for President Polk's nephew and private secretary, J. Knox Walker, and in the 1860s was shared by President Lincoln's two young secretaries, John Nicolay and John Hay.
The sitting room was one of President Nixon's favorite places to work, think and relax. He often sat in his favorite brown plush armchair and put his feet up on the ottoman. Mrs. Nixon gave the President the chair as a birthday present when they were living in California in 1962. The family then took it with them to their apartment in New York and the White House. Previous to the installation here, the President continued to use the chair at his residence in Saddle River, New Jersey.
Sitting in front of a roaring fire in his favorite chair, the President put finishing touches on numerous speeches and policy outlines. The room became a treasured hideaway. In fact, the cozy Lincoln room became a favorite of the whole family during the Nixon administration. It was here, in 1969, that Edward Cox proposed to Tricia Nixon.
Decor of The Lincoln Sitting Room
The Lincoln Sitting Room became part of the White House family quarters in 1902. Its decor during the Nixon Administration complemented the Victorian character of the adjacent Lincoln Bedroom. The green and yellow print paisley fabric on the walls and daybed is copied from a 19th-century pattern. The brocade and cut velvet upholstery of the chairs mimics that in vogue during the Victorian period.
The four Victorian rosewood chairs on display in the room are like those of a set purchased by Mrs. Lincoln for the White House and are thought to date from about 1860. The mahogany French Empire daybed is ornamented with carved swan's heads. The chandelier is made of sheet iron, a decorative material frequently used during the French Empire period, and modeled on a fixture dating from around 1830.
In front of the window is a desk modeled on that used by James Hoban, the original architect of the White House. Numerous engravings and mementos of the Lincoln era decorated the original room, including early renderings of Pierre Charles L'Enfant's plan for the District of Columbia and 19th-century prints illustrating the growth of the city."
There are many other exact replicas located throughout this library and museum, many have yet to be waymarked, so look for them!