The East Wing of the White House has traditionally served as the office and workspace for the First Lady and her senior staff, a preferred entrance for guests at official events, and a site for hosting social functions and receptions. It also houses auxiliary spaces and, at times, security and operations facilities connected to the broader White House complex. In addition to its public-facing roles, the East Wing has included offices for communications, scheduling, social events, and outreach, while the main residence remained in the West Wing. The structure was dramatically expanded and rebuilt in the 1940s under Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide more staff offices and to conceal an underground shelter that was added during World War II, a bunker-style space that has been referenced in historical accounts of national security logistics. Over the years, the East Wing has thus functioned both as a functional administrative hub for the First Lady’s activities and as a ceremonial gateway for visitors and events at the executive residence.

If you’re seeking a concise timeline:

• Early 1900s: East Wing originated as an eastern terrace and reception space.

• 1942: Roosevelt administration expanded the East Wing to add more offices and to mask a new underground bunker; the wing became the operational base for First Lady activities and official functions.

• Post-1942 onward: The East Wing continued as the First Lady’s office hub and a social-entry point for state events, with occasional renovations and reorganizations.

• Recent years (2020s): Media coverage has highlighted discussions about renovations or demolition in the context of broad White House modernization projects, including the East Wing’s relationship to public tours, office space, and security infrastructure.

If you’d like, I can pull in specific historical details or contemporary sources to verify any particular aspect (construction dates, exact functions, or notable events associated with the East Wing).