Thomas Murray
Cite this Page
"Thomas Murray," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/218.
- Position
- Gardener
- Years in President's House
- circa 1833
- Legal Status
- Free Person
- Gender
- Male
- Race/Ethnicity
- White
- Presidency
- Andrew Jackson
- Biography
- Information about Thomas Murray’s life outside of the White House remains unknown. (1)
According to historian William Seale, Thomas Murray was a tenant of James Maher, the principal gardener responsible for government grounds who owned several taverns and two hotels in Washington, D.C. Murray worked on the White House Grounds in 1833 and Seale notes that “Between sixty-one and sixty-five laborers worked under Thomas Murray.” Murray and these men graded the South Lawn and laid out garden paths. (2) - (1) The name Thomas Murray is very common, and it is difficult to determine the correct individual that worked at the White House.
(2) William Seale, The President’s House, (The White House Historical Association, 2008), 199. - Birthplace
- Unclear from Context