presidential blunders

A good chunk of presidential history has been lost, and you have Chester Arthur to thank. Before moving into the White House after James Garfield died, Arthur had the White House redecorated. Louis C. Tiffany was tabbed to overhaul this effort. To pay for the renovation, which included "the finest contemporary furniture, fabrics, rugs, and wallpapers promoting the American Victorian Aesthetic Movement," according to the President Chester A. Arthur State Historic Site, a whopping 24 wagon loads of historic White House furniture and items were sold at a public auction. Among the items sold are said to have included a pair of pants once worn by Abraham Lincoln and a John Quincy Adams hat, according to Cormac O'Brien's Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents. Former president Rutherford B. Hayes bought a large portion of the White House memorabilia, which can be viewed at Hayes' home in Fremont, Ohio.