The White House: The History Behind the Presidential Home

Table Of Content

• The White House: The History Behind the Presidential Home
• History of the White House
• What is the architectural style of the White House?
• Facts About the Wild West
• FACT SHEET: President Biden Marks Earth Day 2024 with Historic Climate Action
• White House Down: War of 1812 & Burning of Washington
• Public Space and the Executive Residence

The executive mansion has been the official residence of every subsequent president. Beautiful landscaping has graced the White House grounds since the administration of Thomas Jefferson. The South Lawn features over three dozen commemorative trees that date back to the 1870s. During the Kennedy administration, Rachel Lambert “Bunny” Mellon redesigned the White House gardens, including the famed Rose Garden outside the West Wing. The East Garden, also redesigned by Mellon, was later named in honor of Jacqueline Kennedy.

The White House: The History Behind the Presidential Home

In 1800, President John Adams and first lady Abigail Adams moved into the still unfinished building on November 1. While it was much smaller than L’Enfant’s proposal, the completed building was still the largest home in the country and would retain that title until after the Civil War. According to the White House Historical Association, the cost of construction was $232,372. A guide to 10 of the very best historic sites in America's capital city, including The Capitol, Lincoln Memorial and The White House. The scale and status of the building today reflects its profile on the world stage as a landmark of presidential – and by extension, American – power.

History of the White House

Truman and his family lived in Blair House across the street during the renovations. As the official workplace and executive residence of the president of the United States, the White House stands as one of the most famous, and recognizable, buildings in the world. But behind its stately neoclassical facade, details of its construction and history are far less well-known. Below, find answers to six common questions about the iconic structure that has served as home to all but one U.S. president. Visitors are greeted at the north facade, with stately columns and a pedimented portico — very Classical in design.

What is the architectural style of the White House?

Less than fifty years after the Roosevelt renovation, the White House was already showing signs of serious structural weakness. President Harry S. Truman began a renovation of the building in which everything but the outer walls was dismantled. The reconstruction was overseen by architect Lorenzo Winslow, and in 1952, the Truman family moved back into the White House.

Facts About the Wild West

Burned to the ground by the British in August 1814, the President’s House was nearly left in its smoldering remains as lawmakers contemplated moving the capital to another city. Instead, Hoban was brought back to rebuild it nearly from scratch, in some areas incorporating the original, charred walls. Upon reassuming residency in 1817, James Madison and his wife Dolley gave the home a more regal touch by decorating with extravagant French furniture. The wallpaper had hung previously on the walls of another mansion until 1961 when that house was demolished for a grocery store. Just before the demolition, the wallpaper was salvaged and sold to the White House. Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of President John F. Kennedy (1961–63), directed a very extensive and historic redecoration of the house.

The enslaved people who built and staffed the White House: An afterthought no more - The Washington Post

The enslaved people who built and staffed the White House: An afterthought no more.

Posted: Mon, 17 Feb 2020 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The White House is the official residence and primary workplace of the President of the United States. The Situation Room, known officially as the John F. Kennedy Conference Room, is located in the West Wing basement and actually comprises several rooms. Designated in 1961 by JFK as a space for crisis coordination, it was used by Johnson during the Vietnam War and is where President Barack Obama watched Osama Bin Laden's killing by Navy SEALs. The Truman balcony, overlooking the south lawn and the Washington Monument, was completed in 1948. To this day, by design, the White House remains rather "two-faced," one facade more formal and angular and the other rounded and less formal.

How the White House was built - National Geographic

How the White House was built.

Posted: Tue, 12 Feb 2019 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Dickens later wrote, “I take it for granted the Presidential housemaids have high wages.” Until the Civil War, however, most White House servants were enslaved people. Moreover, the wages of all White House employees—as well as the expenses for running the White House, including staging official functions—were paid for by the president. Not until 1909 did Congress provide appropriations to pay White House servants. A final major overhaul took place after Harry Truman entered office in 1945. With structural problems mounting from the 1902 installation of floor-bearing steel beams, most of the building’s interior was stripped bare as a new concrete foundation went in place. The Trumans helped redesign most of the state rooms and decorate the second and third floors, and the president proudly displayed the results during a televised tour of the completed house in 1952.

White House Down: War of 1812 & Burning of Washington

This floor is on the same level as the second floor of the West Wing and the East Wing, as the residence sits on the upper floor. Despite architect Latrobe’s suggestions to rebuild it with a new design, its new occupant, President James Madison, decided to restore it and return it to its original appearance, under the supervision of the also original architect, James Hoban. The second president to occupy the White House was Thomas Jefferson, who moved in March 1801, with the residence still unfinished.

Public Space and the Executive Residence

Set on 18 acres of land, the site was chosen by the first president, George Washington. After Abraham Lincoln's presidency, Inaugural crowds became far too large for the White House to accommodate them comfortably. However, not until Grover Cleveland's first presidency did this unsafe practice change. He held a presidential review of the troops from a flag-draped grandstand built in front of the White House. This procession evolved into the official Inaugural parade we know today.

In 1927, the attic of the Executive Mansion was expanded and became its third floor. Similar to their Oval Office, presidents have been allowed to renovate parts of the Executive Mansion and executive residence. Many presidents with children have installed playground equipment on the White House grounds and held events and receptions like prom parties and wedding receptions at the mansion. In 1805, upon winning re-election, Thomas Jefferson held the first Inauguration open house at the White House, allowing the public to enter.

Each president adds their own personal style to the workspace, choosing artwork from the White House collection or borrowing from museums. Six desks have been used in the Oval Office, the most famous of which is the Resolute desk. Made of wood from the HMS Resolute, the desk is currently in use by President Biden.