General Discussion

I'm going on a limb to say there is an almost 100% chance - it was the go-to top line insulation and fireproofing product until the late 1970s due to its unquestioned effectiveness. The military's heavy use of asbestos in WWII led to it becoming the product of choice in commercial and then residential properties in the decades that followed.

No way FDR skimped on that for something far less capable.

My bet is that the second floor (at least) was sprayed into oblivion - ceilings, walls, pipes, ducts, flooring... Likely lead paint as well, but as that is exposed, it may have already been addressed over the years. Until disturbed, Asbestos is relatively benign - things get sketchy when the walls are opened up.

A family member died some years ago from asbestos mesothelioma. We found out back then how insidious and prevalent this stuff is.

One thing that always stuck with me was that any civilian building built or remodeled between 1945 and 1978 should be evaluated for asbestos along with lead paint for remediation before starting any R&R work. Its made for interesting real estate negotiations over the years - asbestos and lead paint assessments are common requirements in sales contracts here in the Northeast where knob and tube wiring is still (shockingly) in use.

Wow this got long, but was surprisingly cathartic. Mesothelioma is a horrible way to die and this east wing demolition has been bringing back a lot of memories in my family - its the first thing we thought of when we saw the pictures.