Three other state parlors, designated by their colors, were smaller. Mary Lincoln’s favorite, the red one, served as her sitting room where she received guests. The president also entertained friends there after dinner. Its furniture was upholstered in red satin and gold damask, its windows had gilded cornices, and throughout were scattered many vases and much ormolu work. Few paintings other than a full-length portrait of George Washington adorned the walls. Stoddard believed that the plainness of the White House could have been softened with more artwork. The oval Blue Room, which had a fine view across the spacious grounds to the Potomac River, was known as “Charles Ogle’s Elliptical Saloon,” a reference to the demagogic Pennsylvania congressman who had attacked Martin Van Buren for redecorating the White House. The Green Room was a small parlor where guests were received informally. (After Willie Lincoln died in 1862, his body was embalmed in the Green Room. His mother refused to enter it thereafter. His death is discussed in chapter 26.)
Source: Abraham Lincoln ∶ A Life ▫𓂃