Lincoln company's gingerbread White House serves as official ornament

Workers at a Lincoln company have once again designed and produced the official White House Christmas tree ornament.

Beacon Design has been making the ornaments since 1981, when the White House Historical Association started the program, which has raised millions to support the association's mission to "protect, preserve, and provide public access to the rich history of America’s Executive Mansion," the association said.

This year's ornament depicts the White House as a gingerbread house and "represents the cherished White House tradition of displaying a gingerbread house each holiday in the State Dining Room," the White House Historical Association says.

More:Lincoln company's White House ornament is 'extraordinary gift' to late president's family

"A perfect addition to any holiday tree, this American-made holiday ornament illustrates this decades-long tradition, complete with delicate icing, red and white striped candies, gumdrops and candy canes," the association says. "If you look closely, you can even see little gingerbread children frolicking in front of the North Portico."

The two-sided ornament, designed by Beacon's Kim Oliva, shows the north and south fronts of the executive mansion.

The association sells the ornaments for $24.95 each, less if multiple items are purchased. "Included with this beautifully gift-boxed keepsake is a gingerbread scented insert, booklet and recipe card ​featuring a gingerbread recipe from first lady Pat Nixon's time at the White House," the White House Historical Association says.

Beacon Design and the White House Historical Association were featured Wednesday on "CBS Morning News." The segment was taped in Lincoln and Washington, D.C., according to Beacon Design.

“It’s a privilege to be part of such an amazing annual program and working with an organization like the White House Historical Association is truly an honor," Ana Lopes, vice president of sales and marketing, said in an emailed statement. "Having the largest ornament program of its kind in the U.S. made right here in the smallest state is certainly something to be proud of.”

Beacon workers produced "hundreds of thousands" of the ornaments, according to Sheryl Erb, marketing associate.

Founded in 1976 by Richard Beaupre, Beacon Design has also produced ornaments for the Rhode Island State Police, state capitals and the U.S. Capitol Historical Society, among others. Beacon Design is a division of the ChemArt Company.

The nonprofit, nonpartisan White House Historical Association was created in 1961 by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy to help pay for White House restoration and acquisition projects.

According to the White House Historical Association, the first official White House gingerbread house was created in 1969 when first lady Pat Nixon asked assistant chef Hans Raffert to build a traditional German A-frame style house for the Nixon family. The chef kept making gingerbread houses in that fashion every year until he retired in 1992.

"Since then, White House gingerbread displays have become larger and more elaborate under White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier, who oversaw the creation of festive villages, childhood homes, castles, national monuments and historic sites, and marzipan sculptures of the first families and their pets," the association said.

The Associated Press reported that the gingerbread White House currently on display for thousands of tourists and guests attending holiday receptions weighs 300 pounds and includes a sugar cookie replica of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, in keeping with First Lady Jill Biden's theme of “We the People.”

"Every ornament supports the work of our historians, researchers and archivists to discover hidden figures, educate the public about lesser-known stories, and preserve White House history," the association said.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Official White House Christmas ornament is made by Lincoln company