Charles “Charlie” Williams began working at the White House as a night fireman during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency. The role entailed caring for different furnaces and boilers, stoking fires in White House fireplaces, maintaining the White House kitchen range, and wheeling in wood and coal for use in the house.¹During Woodrow Wilson’s presidency, Secretary to the President Joseph Tumulty promoted Williams to the role of messenger, which he held for many years.² A 1929 newspaper interview with Williams suggested that he worked as a night messenger while holding a day job as an asbestos worker in D.C.³ Williams (incorrectly identified as Williamson) also made national news as the staff member who first discovered the 1929 Christmas Eve fire in the West Wing.⁴ Williams continued to appear on White House staff lists through at least December 1933; it is possible that he stayed there beyond that time, but information is scarce.⁵

It is difficult to verify information about Williams’ birth and death as his name is very common in Washington, D.C. A 1931 newspaper article noted that he was close to his 25th anniversary on staff, placing his start date around 1906. See Frederic William Wile, “Washington Observations,” Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), June 26, 1931, pg. 8; “Given 25 Cent Raise in 10 Years,” International Molders’ Journal Vol. 52 (January 1916: 396).
Frederic William Wile, “Washington Observations,” Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), June 26, 1931, pg. 8; Xmas List 1931, Lou Henry Hoover Papers, Subject Files, White House Christmas 1931, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library; "Employees of the Executive Office," December 15, 1933, White House Office Personnel, 1933-1935; Records of the White House Office of Budget and Accounting, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, New York.
Frederic William Wile, “Washington Observations,” Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), November 25, 1929, pg. 8.
“President Personally Rescues Private Papers as Fire Ruins Executive Wing of White House,” Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), December 25, 1929, pg. 1; “Plans for Rebuilding of Presidential Offices are Begun; $50,000 Damage,” The News-Virginian (Waynesboro, Virginia), December 26, 1929, pg. 1. (5) "Employees of the Executive Office," December 15, 1933, White House Office Personnel, 1933-1935; Records of the White House Office of Budget and Accounting, Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, New York.

Birthplace

Unclear from Context

Related Association Content: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-christmas-eve-west-wing-fire-of-1929