A Metafilter thread led me to this photoessay on the history of the White House bowling alley.
Bowling lanes were first built in the ground floor of the West Wing as a birthday gift for President Truman in 1947 (in the location of the present-day Situation Room); Truman didn't care for bowling himself, but allowed staff to start a league. These were moved to the Old Executive Office Building in 1955 to make way for a mimeograph room.It's interesting to see he evolution of the style and the technology of the alley(s). Apparently after 9/11 the lane was allowed to fall into disrepair:
In 1969, President and Mrs. Nixon, both avid bowlers, had a new one-lane alley built (paid for by friends) in an underground workspace area below the driveway leading to the North Portico.
The storied maple and pine lanes used by presidents for 50 years have become run down, damaged by water and construction debris.The photo above is dated 2006, so the lanes may have been repaired. One wonders whether the area will soon be repurposed into a basketball court...
"If you saw (the lanes) you'd cry," said a league member who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution by his superiors. "They're ruined."
I'm pleased to note that the lanes appear to have been funded by gifts rather than taxpayer money, and that "Richard Nixon was such an avid bowler he paid the $400 annual lease fee for the automatic pinsetting machines out of his own pocket."
One final note: the first link is part of the White House Museum website. It appears to have a lot of areas for exploration, with many historic pictures. I don't have time for it now, but you may find something interesting with a few clicks.
As I understand it there are actually TWO bowling alleys in question here. The first was a double lane system built for Truman and later moved from the Whitehouse proper to the old Executive Office building. This is the one that housed the "oldest bowling league in America" until after 9/11 when the members were not allowed to return. It is also the alley that has fallen in disrepair. The lane you show is a single lane system built for Nixon under the driveway in 1970. Note the mirrors in the picture you show that makes it appear to be a double lane but also not that the mirros do not run the entire length. This lane is still open and was the one that the Bush children have used.
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