Preservationists are seeking to stop patches of an iconic Washington building from being painted as soon as on Thursday, warning that the move – billed as a test for President Donald Trump’s larger plan to turn the whole structure white – will cause irreparable damage to the landmark.
In a request for an emergency injunction due to be filed on Thursday, Cultural Heritage Partners, a law firm, will argue that the proposed testing – which includes painting four 2-by-2 foot panels on the façade of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building – without the expert oversight ordinarily required risks harm to the building.
It could also set a dangerous precedent for circumventing government review processes, handing free rein to the president for other projects, they argue.
“I would rate this as pretty urgent,” said Greg Werkheiser, founding partner at the firm. “The testing concerns us because no one outside the White House knows who is conducting the testing or what protocols they’re following, and qualified preservation experts have had no chance to weigh in.”
“The broader concern for historic sites nationwide is that this is all taking place under the auspices of the Executive Office of the President, outside the review process that Congress established for projects like this,” he added.
