Warnecke's reputation as a world-class architect received a substantial boost when he was asked by

the administration of President John F. Kennedy to save the historic buildings surrounding Lafayette

Square.[1][3][14] The controversy over Lafayette Square can be traced back to 1900, when the United
States Congress passed a resolution establishing the U.S. Senate Park Commission (also known as
the "McMillan Commission" because it was chaired by Senator James McMillan [R-Mich.]).[35] The
Park Commission's proposals, which came to be known as the "McMillan Plan," proposed that all the
buildings around Lafayette Square be razed and replaced by tall, Neoclassical buildings clad in white
marble for use by executive branch agencies. [36] Little action was taken on these proposals over the
next five decades. However, plans were made in the late 1950s to raze all the buildings on the east
side of Lafayette Square and replace them with a white modernist office building which would house
judicial offices.[37][38] Opposition to the demolition of the Cutts-Madison House and other buildings on
Lafayette Square began forming shortly after the decision to raze the structures was announced.
[39]
 The newly elected Kennedy administration indicated in February 1961 that it was anxious to retain
the existing historic homes on Lafayette Square.[40]
In February 1962, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy lobbied the General Services Administration to
stop the demolition and adopt a different design plan. [41][42] "The wreckers haven't started yet, and until
they do it can be saved," she wrote.[42] Mrs. Kennedy enlisted architect Warnecke, who happened to
be in town that weekend,[43] to create a design which would incorporate the new buildings with the
old.[11] With this project, Warnecke was one of the first architects to receive a commission from the
Kennedy administration.[44][45] Warnecke conceived the basic design over that weekend, [11] and worked
closely with Mrs. Kennedy over the next few months to formalize the design proposal. [46] The design
was presented to the public and the Commission of Fine Arts (which had approval over any plan) in
October 1962, and with Mrs. Kennedy's backing the Commission adopted the revised Warnecke
design proposal.[42][46][47]
Warnecke's design for the square was based on the architectural theory of contextualism. [48][49] Not
only did Warnecke's design build the first modern buildings on Lafayette Square, but they were the
first buildings in the city to utilize contextualism as a design philosophy. [48] Warnecke's design for the
Markey National Courts Building was to create tall, flat structures in red brick which would serve as
relatively unobtrusive backgrounds to the lighter-colored residential homes like the Cutts-Madison
House.[48] The Cutts-Madison House, Cosmos Club building, and Benjamin Ogle Tayloe House were
joined, and a courtyard built between them and the National Courts building. [48]
Warnecke continued to contribute to architectural design in Washington, D.C. He opened an office in
the District of Columbia in 1962. [5] He was made a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects the
same year.[50]
Warnecke was appointed to an important federal post and received two important commissions from
the Kennedy family in 1963. On June 21, 1963, President Kennedy appointed Warnecke to the U.S.
Commission of Fine Arts.[8][14][51] Warnecke's first important commission from the President was the
design for a presidential library. Plans and sites were discussed in May, and on October 19, just 34
days before his assassination, President Kennedy (with Warnecke by his side) chose a site next to
the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.[8][14][15][52] As Warnecke and Kennedy had
only discussed general themes for the design, I. M. Pei was selected by the Kennedy family to be
the library's actual architect.[15][53]

Kennedy grave site[edit]

Main article: John F. Kennedy Eternal Flame
President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, and Warnecke was chosen by Mrs.
Kennedy to design the president's tomb just six days later on November 28. [54][55][56] Coincidentally, the
President and Warnecke had visited the site which was to become Kennedy's tomb in March 1963,
and the President had admired the peaceful atmosphere of the place. [55][57][58] On November 24, Mrs.
Kennedy told friends that she wanted an eternal flame at the gravesite.[59][60]
Warnecke visited the grave with Mrs. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy on
Wednesday, November 28, to discuss themes and plans for the grave. [54][61] He immediately
concluded that the permanent grave must be simple and must incorporate the eternal flame. [54][61] A
few days later, Warnecke agreed that, although it was not required, he would submit the design for
the permanent Kennedy grave site to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.[61]