The residence was designed by the Irish-born architectJames Hoban in theNeoclassical style.[4] Hoban modeled the building onLeinster House in Dublin, a building which today houses theOireachtas, the Irish legislature. Constructed between 1792 and 1800, its exterior walls areAquia Creek sandstone painted white. WhenThomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he and his architectBenjamin Henry Latrobe added lowcolonnades on each wing to conceal what then were stables and storage.[5] In 1814, during theWar of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze byBritish forces in theburning of Washington, destroying the interior and charring much of the exterior. Reconstruction began almost immediately, and PresidentJames Monroe moved into the partially reconstructedExecutive Residence in October 1817. Exterior construction continued with the addition of the semicircular South Portico in 1824 and the North Portico in 1829.
Because of crowding within the executive mansion, PresidentTheodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructedWest Wing in 1901. Eight years later, in 1909, PresidentWilliam Howard Taft expanded the West Wing and created the firstOval Office, which was eventually moved and expanded. In the Executive Residence, the third floor attic was converted to living quarters in 1927 by augmenting the existinghip roof with long shed dormers. A newly constructedEast Wing was used as a reception area for social events; Jefferson's colonnades connected the new wings. The East Wing alterations were completed in 1946, creating additional office space. By 1948, the residence's load-bearing walls and wood beams were found to be close to failure. UnderHarry S. Truman, the interior rooms were completely dismantled and a new internal load-bearingsteel frame was constructed inside the walls. On the exterior, theTruman Balcony was added. Once the structural work was completed, the interior rooms were rebuilt.
Washington, however, never lived at Government House since the national capital was moved toPhiladelphia in 1790, where it remained through 1800.[10][11] The July 1790Residence Act designated the capital be permanently located in the newFederal District, and temporarily in Philadelphia for ten years while the permanent capital was built.[12] Philadelphia rented the mansion ofRobert Morris, a merchant, at 190 High Street, now 524–30Market Street, as thePresident's House, which Washington occupied from November 1790 to March 1797.[13] Since the house was too small to accommodate the 30 people who then made up the presidential family, staff, and servants, Washington had the house enlarged.[13]
PresidentJohn Adams, who succeeded Washington and served as the nation's second president, occupied the High Street mansion in Philadelphia from March 1797 to May 1800. Philadelphia began construction of a much granderpresidential mansion several blocks away in 1792. It was nearly completed by the time of Adams' 1797 inauguration. However, Adams chose not to occupy it, saying he did not haveCongressional authorization to lease the building. It remained vacant until 1800 when it was sold to theUniversity of Pennsylvania.[14]
On Saturday, November 1, 1800, Adams became the first president to occupy the White House.[15] President's House in Philadelphia was converted into Union Hotel and then used for stores before being demolished in 1832.[13]
The President's House was a major feature ofPierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant's[a] 1791plan for the newly established federal city of Washington, D.C.[16] After L'Enfant's dismissal in early 1792, Washington and his secretary of state,Thomas Jefferson, who both had personal interests in architecture, agreed that the design of the President's House and the Capitol would be chosen in adesign competition.[17]
Nine proposals were submitted for the new presidential residence with the award going to Irish-American architectJames Hoban. Hoban supervised the construction of both theU.S. Capitol and the White House.[18] Hoban was born in Ireland and trained at theDublin Society of Arts. He emigrated to the U.S. after theAmerican Revolution, first seeking work inPhiladelphia and later finding success inSouth Carolina, where he designed the state capitol inColumbia.
A 1793elevation by James Hoban; his three-story, nine-bay original submission was altered into this two-story, 11-bay design.
President Washington visitedCharleston, South Carolina, in May 1791 on his Southern Tour, and saw theCharleston County Courthouse then under construction, which had been designed by Hoban. Washington is reputed to have met with Hoban during the visit. The following year, Washington summoned the architect to Philadelphia and met with him in June 1792.[19]
On July 16, 1792, the president met with the commissioners of the federal city to make his judgment in the architectural competition. His review is recorded as being brief, and he quickly selected Hoban's submission.[20]
Design influences
TheNeoclassical design of the White House is based primarily on architectural concepts inherited from the Roman architectVitruvius and theVenetian architectAndrea Palladio. The design of the upper floors also includes elements based on Dublin'sLeinster House, which later became the seat of the Irish parliament (Oireachtas).[21] The upper windows with alternate triangular and segmented pediments are inspired by the Irish building.[22] Additionally, several Georgian-era Irish country houses have been suggested as sources of inspiration for the overall floor plan, including the bow-fronted south front and the former niches in the present-dayBlue Room.
The first official White House guide, published in 1962, suggested a link between Hoban's design for the South Portico andChâteau de Rastignac, a neoclassical country house inLa Bachellerie in theDordogne region of France. Construction on the French house was initially started before 1789, interrupted by theFrench Revolution for 20 years, and then finally built between 1812 and 1817 based on Salat's pre-1789 design.[23]
The conceptual link between the two houses has been criticized because Hoban did not visit France. Supporters of the connection contend thatThomas Jefferson, during his tour ofBordeaux in 1789, viewed Salat's architectural drawings, which were on file atÉcole Spéciale d'Architecture.[24] On his return to the U.S., Jefferson then shared the influence with Washington, Hoban, Monroe, andBenjamin Henry Latrobe.[23]
Construction
Construction of the White House began at noon on October 13, 1792, with the laying of the cornerstone.[25][26] The main residence and foundations of the house were built largely by employedEuropeans, whilst enslaved African-Americans quarried stone used in the construction.[27] Much of the other work on the house was done by immigrants, including the sandstone walls, which were erected by Scottish masons[28], the high-relief rose, and garland decorations above the north entrance and the fish scale pattern beneath the pediments of the window hoods.
There are conflicting claims as to where the sandstone used in the construction of the White House originated. Some reports suggest sandstone from theCroatian island ofBrač, specifically thePučišća quarry whose stone was used to build the ancientDiocletian's Palace inSplit, was used in the building's original construction. However, researchers believe limestone from the island was used in the 1902 renovations and not the original construction. Others suggest the original sandstone simply came fromAquia Creek inStafford County, Virginia, since importation of the stone at the time would have proved too costly.[29][30][31] The initial construction took place over a period of eight years at a reported cost of $232,371.83 (equivalent to $4,305,000 in 2024). Although not yet completed, the White House was ready for occupancy circa November 1, 1800.[32]
Pierre L'Enfant's plan for a grand palace was five times larger than the house that was eventually built.[28] Due in part to material and labor shortages, the finished structure contained only two main floors instead of the planned three, and a less costly brick served as a lining for the stone façades. When construction was finished, the porous sandstone walls werewhitewashed with a mixture of lime, rice glue, casein, and lead, giving the house its familiar color and name.[28]
The three-level southern façade combinesPalladian and neoclassical architectural styles. The ground floor isrusticated in the Palladian fashion. The south portico was completed in 1824.[34] At the center of the southern façade is a neoclassical projected bow of three bays. The bow is flanked by five bays, the windows of which, as on the north façade, have alternating segmented and pointed pediments at first-floor level. The bow has a ground-floordouble staircase leading to anIoniccolonnadedloggia and theTruman Balcony, built in 1946.[34] The more modern third floor is hidden by a balustraded parapet and plays no part in the composition of the façade.
Naming conventions
The building was originally variously referred to as thePresident's Palace,Presidential Mansion, orPresident's House.[35] The earliest evidence of the public calling it the "White House" was recorded in 1811.[36] A myth emerged that during the rebuilding of the structure after theBurning of Washington, white paint was applied to mask the burn damage it had suffered,[37] giving the building its namesake hue.[38] The name "Executive Mansion" was used in official contexts until PresidentTheodore Roosevelt established "The White House" as its formal name in 1901 via Executive Order.[39] The current letterhead wording and arrangement of "The White House" with the word "Washington" centered beneath it dates to the administration ofFranklin D. Roosevelt.[40]
Although the structure was not completed until some years after the presidency of George Washington, there is speculation that the name of the traditional residence of the president of the United States may have been derived fromMartha Washington's home,White House Plantation, inVirginia, where the nation's first president courted the first lady in the mid-18th century.[41]
On Saturday, November 1, 1800,John Adams, who was residing atPresident's House inPhiladelphia, the national capital from 1790 to 1800, became the first president to take residence in the building.[28] The next day he wrote his wife Abigail:"I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this House, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."[42]PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt had Adams's blessing carved into the mantel in the State Dining Room.[42]
Adams lived in the house only briefly beforeThomas Jefferson moved into the "pleasant country residence"[43] in 1801. Despite his complaints that the house was too big ("big enough for two emperors, one pope, and the grand lama in the bargain"),[44] Jefferson considered how the White House might be expanded and improved. WithBenjamin Henry Latrobe, he helped lay out the design for the East and West Colonnades, small wings that helped conceal the domestic operations of laundry, a stable and storage.[28] Today, Jefferson's colonnades link the residence with the East and West Wings.[28]
On August 24, 1814, during theWar of 1812, the White House was burned byBritish forces during theBurning of Washington, in retaliation for acts of destruction by American troops inthe Canadas; much of Washington was affected by these fires as well.[45][46] Only the exterior walls remained, and they had to be torn down and mostly reconstructed because of weakening from the fire and subsequent exposure to the elements, except for portions of the south wall. Of the numerous objects taken from the White House when it was sacked by the British, only three have been recovered.[45][47][48]
White House employees and slaves rescued a copy of theLansdowne portrait, and in 1939 a Canadian man returned a jewelry box to President Franklin Roosevelt, claiming that his grandfather had taken it from Washington; in the same year, a medicine chest that had belonged to President Madison was returned by the descendants of aRoyal Navy officer.[45][47][48] Some observers allege that most of the spoils of war taken during the sack were lost when a convoy of British ships led byHMSFantome sank en route toHalifax offProspect during a storm on the night of November 24, 1814, even thoughFantome had no involvement in that action.[49][50][51]
After the fire, PresidentJames Madison resided inthe Octagon House from 1814 to 1815, and then in theSeven Buildings from 1815 to the end of his term.[52] Meanwhile, both Hoban and Latrobe contributed to the design and oversight of the reconstruction, which lasted from 1815 until 1817. The southportico was constructed in 1824 during theJames Monroe administration. The north portico was built in 1830.[28] Though Latrobe proposed similar porticos before the fire in 1814, both porticos were built as designed by Hoban.[53] An elliptical portico atChâteau de Rastignac in La Bachellerie, France, with nearly identical curved stairs, is speculated as the source of inspiration due to its similarity with the South Portico,[54] although this matter is one of great debate.[55]
Italian artisans, brought toWashington to help in constructing theU.S. Capitol, carved the decorative stonework on both porticos. Contrary to speculation, the North Portico was not modeled on a similar portico on another Dublin building, theViceregal Lodge (nowÁras an Uachtaráin, residence of thepresident of Ireland), for its portico postdates the White House porticos' design.[54] For the North Portico, a variation on theIonic Order was devised, incorporating a swag of roses between the volutes. This was done to link the new portico with the earlier carved roses above the entrance.
By the time of theAmerican Civil War, the White House had become overcrowded. The location of the White House, just north of a canal and swampy lands, which provided conditions ripe formalaria and other unhealthy conditions, was questioned.[56] Brigadier General Nathaniel Michler was tasked with proposing solutions to address these concerns. He proposed abandoning the use of the White House as a residence, and he designed a new estate for the first family atMeridian Hill in Washington, D.C. Congress, however, rejected the plan.[56] Another option was Metropolis View, which is now the campus of theCatholic University of America.[57]
WhenChester A. Arthur took office in 1881, he ordered renovations to the White House to take place as soon as the recently widowedLucretia Garfield moved out. Arthur inspected the work almost nightly and made several suggestions.Louis Comfort Tiffany was asked to send selected designers to assist. Over twenty wagonloads of furniture and household items were removed from the building and sold at apublic auction.[58] All that was saved were bust portraits ofJohn Adams andMartin Van Buren.[59] A proposal was made to build a new residence south of the White House, but it failed to gain support.
In the fall of 1882, work was done on the main corridor, including tinting the walls pale olive and adding squares ofgold leaf, and decorating the ceiling in gold and silver, with colorfultraceries woven to spell "USA". The Red Room was painted a dull Pomeranian red, and its ceiling was decorated with gold, silver, and copper stars and stripes of red, white, and blue. A fifty-foot jeweledTiffany glass screen, supported by imitation marble columns, replaced the glass doors that separated the main corridor from the north vestibule.[60][61]
In 1891,Benjamin Harrison and wifeCaroline proposed major extensions to the White House, including a National Wing on the east for a historical art gallery, and a wing on the west for official functions.[56] An initially unsuccessful plan was devised by Colonel Theodore A. Bingham that reflected the Harrison proposal.[56] The Harrisons originated the annual placement and decoration of a Christmas tree in the house.[62]
In 1902, however,Theodore Roosevelt hiredMcKim, Mead & White to carry out expansions and renovations in a neoclassical style suited to the building's architecture, removing the Tiffany screen and all Victorian additions.[63][64]Charles McKim himself designed and managed the project, which gave more living space to the president's large family by removing a staircase in the West Hall and moving executive office staff from the second floor of the residence into the new West Wing.[28]
PresidentWilliam Howard Taft enlisted the help of architectNathan C. Wyeth to add additional space to the West Wing, which included the addition of theOval Office.[56] In 1925, Congress enacted legislation allowing the White House to accept gifts of furniture and art for the first time.[65]: 17 The West Wing was damaged by fire on Christmas Eve 1929;Herbert Hoover and his aides moved back into it on April 14, 1930.[66] In the 1930s, a second story was added, as well as a larger basement for White House staff, and President Franklin Roosevelt had the Oval Office moved to its present location: adjacent to theRose Garden.[28]
TheTruman reconstruction between 1949 and 1952, which included a steel structure built within the White House's exterior shell
Decades of poor maintenance, the construction of a fourth-story attic during theCoolidge administration, and the addition of a second-floor balcony over the south portico forHarry S. Truman[67] took a great toll on the brick and sandstone structure built around a timber frame.[28] By 1948, the house was declared to be in imminent danger of collapse, forcing President Truman to commission a reconstruction and to live across the street atBlair House from 1949 to 1951.[68]
The work, completed by the firm ofPhiladelphia contractorJohn McShain, required the complete dismantling of the interior spaces, construction of a new load-bearing internal steel frame, and the reconstruction of the original rooms within the new structure.[67] The total cost of the renovations was about $5.7million ($69 million in 2024).[69] Some modifications to the floor plan were made, the largest being the repositioning of the grand staircase to open into the Entrance Hall, rather than the Cross Hall.[67] Central air conditioning was added, as well as two additional sub-basements providing space for workrooms, storage, and a bomb shelter.[28] The Trumans moved back into the White House on March 27, 1952.[28]
While the Truman reconstruction preserved the house's structure, much of the new interior finishes were generic and of little historic significance. Much of the original plasterwork, some dating back to the 1814–1816 rebuilding, was too damaged to reinstall, as was the original robust Beaux Arts paneling in the East Room. President Truman had the original timber frame sawed into paneling; the walls of theVermeil Room,Library,China Room, andMap Room on the ground floor of the main residence were paneled in wood from the timbers.[70]
Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of PresidentJohn F. Kennedy (1961–63), directed a very extensive and historic redecoration of the house. She enlisted the help ofHenry Francis du Pont of theWinterthur Museum to assist in collecting artifacts for the mansion, many of which had once been housed there.[71] Other antiques, fine paintings, and improvements from the Kennedy period were donated to the White House by wealthy philanthropists, including theCrowninshield family,Jane Engelhard,Jayne Wrightsman, and the Oppenheimer family.
Stéphane Boudin of theHouse of Jansen, a Paris interior-design firm that had been recognized worldwide, was employed by Jacqueline Kennedy to assist with the decoration.[71] Different periods of the early republic and world history were selected as a theme for each room: the Federal style for theGreen Room, French Empire for theBlue Room, American Empire for theRed Room, Louis XVI for theYellow Oval Room, and Victorian for the president's study, renamed theTreaty Room. Antique furniture was acquired, and decorative fabric and trim based on period documents was produced and installed.[71]
The Kennedy restoration resulted in a more authentic White House of grander stature, which recalled the French taste of Madison and Monroe.[71] In theDiplomatic Reception Room, Mrs. Kennedy installed an antique "Vue de l'Amérique Nord" wallpaper whichZuber & Cie had designed in 1834. 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.
The first White House guidebook was produced under the direction of curator Lorraine Waxman Pearce with direct supervision from Mrs. Kennedy.[72] Sales of the guidebook helped finance the restoration.
Congress enacted legislation in September 1961 declaring the White House a museum. Furniture,fixtures, and decorative arts could now be declared either historic or of artistic interest by the president. This prevented them from being sold (as many objects in the executive mansion had been in the past 150 years). When not in use or display at the White House, these items were to be turned over to theSmithsonian Institution for preservation, study, storage, or exhibition. The White House retains the right to have these items returned.[65]: 29
Out of respect for the historic character of the White House, no substantive architectural changes have been made to theExecutive Residence since the Truman renovation.[74] Since the Kennedy restoration, every presidential family has made some changes to the private quarters of the White House, but theCommittee for the Preservation of the White House must approve any modifications to the State Rooms. Charged with maintaining the historical integrity of the White House, the congressionally authorized committee works with each First Family – usually represented by the first lady, theWhite House curator, and thechief usher — to implement the family's proposals for altering the house.[75]
During theNixon Administration (1969–1974), First LadyPat Nixon refurbished the Green Room, Blue Room, and Red Room, working withClement Conger, the curator appointed by PresidentRichard Nixon.[76] Mrs. Nixon's efforts brought more than 600 artifacts to the house, the largest acquisition by any administration.[77] Her husband created themodern press briefing room overFranklin Roosevelt's old swimming pool.[78] Nixon also added a single-lane bowling alley to the White House basement.[79]
Computers and the firstlaser printer were added during theCarter administration, and the use of computer technology was expanded during theReagan administration.[80] A Carter-era innovation, a set ofsolar water heating panels that were mounted on the roof of the White House, was removed during Reagan's presidency.[81][82] Redecorations were made to the private family quarters and maintenance was made to public areas during the Reagan years.[83] The house was accredited as a museum in 1988.[83]
The White House became one of the first wheelchair-accessible government buildings in Washington, D.C., when modifications were made during the presidency ofFranklin D. Roosevelt, who used a wheelchair because ofhis paralytic illness. In the 1990s,Hillary Clinton, at the suggestion of the Visitors Office director, approved the addition of a ramp in the East Wing corridor, affording easierwheelchair access for the public tours and special events that enter through the secure entrance building on the east side.
In 2003, the Bush administration reinstalled solar thermal heaters.[82] These units are used to heat water for landscape maintenance personnel and for thepresidential pool and spa. One hundred sixty-seven solar photovoltaic grid-tied panels were installed at the same time on the roof of the maintenance facility. The changes were not publicized as a White House spokeswoman said the changes were an internal matter, but the story was covered by industry trade journals.[85]
In 2013, PresidentBarack Obama had a set ofsolar panels installed on the roof of the White House, making it the first time solar power was used for the president's living quarters.[86][87]
In 2025, PresidentDonald Trump had the East Wing demolished for the construction of a new East Wing containing astate ballroom.[88]
Layout and amenities
The current group of buildings housing the presidency is known as the White House Complex.
The original residence is in the center, including six stories and 55,000 square feet (5,100 m2) of floor space.[32] Twocolonnades – one on the east and one on the west – designed by Jefferson, were added later to connect the East and West Wings to the residence. TheExecutive Residence houses the president's dwelling, as well as rooms for ceremonies and official entertaining. It has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, eight staircases, three elevators,[89] and five full-time chefs.[40]
The second floor family residence includes theYellow Oval Room,East andWest Sitting Halls, the White House Master Bedroom,President's Dining Room, theTreaty Room,Lincoln Bedroom andQueens' Bedroom, as well as two additional bedrooms, a smaller kitchen, and a private dressing room.[92] The third floor consists of the White House Solarium, Game Room, Linen Room, a Diet Kitchen, and another sitting room (previously used as President George W. Bush's workout room).[93]
Some members of the president's staff are located in the adjacentEisenhower Executive Office Building, which was, until 1999, called the Old Executive Office Building and was historically the State, War, and Navy building.[96]
The Oval Office, Roosevelt Room, and other portions of the West Wing were partially replicated on asound stage and used as thesetting forThe West Wing television show.[98]
Among its uses, the East Wing has intermittently housed the offices and staff of thefirst lady and the White House Social Office. In 1977,Rosalynn Carter became the first to place her personal office in the East Wing and to formally call it the "Office of the First Lady".
Grounds
The White House and grounds cover just over 18 acres (about 7.3 hectares). Before the construction of the North Portico, most public events were entered from theSouth Lawn, the grading and planting of which was ordered by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson also drafted a planting plan for theNorth Lawn that included large trees that would have mostly obscured the house from Pennsylvania Avenue. During the mid-to-late 19th century a series of ever largergreenhouses were built on the west side of the house, where the current West Wing is located. During this period, the North Lawn was planted with ornate carpet-style flowerbeds.
On the weekend of June 23, 2006, a century-oldAmerican Elm (Ulmus americana L.) tree on the north side of the building came down during one of themany storms amid intense flooding. Among the oldest trees on the grounds are several magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora) planted byAndrew Jackson, including the Jackson Magnolia, reportedly grown from a sprout taken from the favorite tree of Jackson's recently deceased wife, the sprout planted after Jackson moved into the White House. The tree stood for over 200 years. In 2017, having become too weak to stand on its own, it was decided it should be removed and replaced with one of its offspring.[105][106]
Michelle Obama planted the White House's firstorganic garden and installed beehives on theSouth Lawn of the White House, which will supply organic produce and honey to the First Family and for state dinners and other official gatherings.[107] In 2020, First LadyMelania Trump redesigned the Rose Garden.[108] In 2025, PresidentDonald Trump oversaw the installation ofan 88-foot flagpole on each lawn and a patio to replace the grass lawn of the Rose Garden.[109][110][111]
For security reasons, the section ofPennsylvania Avenue on the north side of the White House is closed to all vehicular traffic except that of government officials.
The White House receives up to 30,000 visitors each week.[112] Thechief usher coordinates day to day household operations.
Historical accessibility
Like the English and Irish country houses it was modeled on, the White House was, from the start, open to the public until the early part of the 20th century.
President Jefferson held an open house for his second inaugural in 1805, and many of the people at his swearing-in ceremony at theCapitol followed him home, where he greeted them in theBlue Room. Those open houses sometimes became rowdy: in 1829, PresidentAndrew Jackson had to leave for a hotel when roughly 20,000 citizens celebrated his inauguration inside the White House. His aides ultimately had to lure the mob outside with washtubs filled with a potent cocktail of orange juice and whiskey.[114] The practice continued until 1885, when newly electedGrover Cleveland arranged for a presidential review of the troops from a grandstand in front of the White House instead of the traditional open house.
Those receptions ended in the early 1930s. PresidentBill Clinton briefly revived the New Year's Day open house in his first term.
During theSeptember 11 attacks, shortly after notice of the plane impacts, the White House staff and other occupants were ordered to evacuate by theU.S. Secret Service after a call was made to them fromRonald Reagan Washington National Airport air traffic control staff, stating, "There is an aircraft coming at you," though an aircraft never did show up.[117]
On May 12, 2005, as a result of increased security regarding air traffic in the capital, the White House was evacuated after an unauthorized aircraft approached the grounds.[118] After being forced to land by twoF-16 fighter jets and aBlack Hawk helicopter at a small airport nearby, the pilot was identified to be a student pilot who accidentally breached White House grounds without knowledge.[118]
On January 27, 2015, at 3 a.m. an intoxicated man flew aquadcopter drone from his apartment near the White House but lost control of it, prompting it to crash on the southeast side on White House grounds. The White House was temporarily locked down by the Secret Service shortly after an officer reported witnessing "[a] drone flying at a low altitude." Investigators suspected that the drone accidentally flew and breached into the property because of either wind or trees.[119][120]
On May 20, 1995, primarily as a response to theOklahoma City bombing of April 19, 1995, theUnited States Secret Service closed off Pennsylvania Avenue to vehicular traffic in front of the White House, from the eastern edge of Lafayette Park to 17th Street. Later, the closure was extended an additional block to the east to 15th Street, and East Executive Avenue, a small street between the White House and theTreasury Building.
AfterSeptember 11, 2001, this change was made permanent, in addition to closing E Street between the South Portico of the White House andthe Ellipse.[122] In response to theBoston Marathon bombing, the road was closed to the public in its entirety for a period of two days.
The Pennsylvania Avenue closure has been opposed by organized civic groups in Washington, D.C. They argue that the closing impedes traffic flow unnecessarily and is inconsistent with the well-conceived historic plan for the city. As for security considerations, they note that the White House is set much farther back from the street than numerous other sensitive federal buildings are.[123]
Prior to its inclusion within the fenced compound that now includes theEisenhower Executive Office Building to the west and the Treasury Building to the east, this sidewalk[clarification needed] served as a queuing area for the daily public tours of the White House. These tours were suspended in the wake of the September 11 attacks. In September 2003, they resumed on a limited basis for groups making prior arrangements through their Congressional representatives or embassies in Washington for foreign nationals and submitting to background checks, but the White House remained closed to the public.[124] Due to budget constraints, White House tours were suspended for most of 2013 due tosequestration.[125] The White House reopened to the public in November 2013.[126]
During the 2005 presidential inauguration,NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) units were used to patrol the airspace over Washington, D.C. The same units have since been used to protect the president and all airspace around the White House, which is strictly prohibited to aircraft.[127][128]
Births, deaths and weddings at the White House
Births
Eighteen children have been born at the White House, including Grover Cleveland's daughterEsther.[129][130]
Other children born at the White House:
James Madison Randolph, grandson of Thomas Jefferson[131]
Asnet Hughes, son of Ursula Granger and Wormley Hughes, enslaved people owned by Jefferson[132][133][134]
Two children of Frances Hern and David Hern, enslaved people owned by Jefferson[135]
The Fossett children, four children born to Fanny Fossett and Edith Fossett, enslaved women owned by Jefferson[135]
Mary Louisa Adams, granddaughter of John Quincy Adams[136]
Mary Emily, John Samuel, and Rachel JacksonDonelson, grand-nieces and nephew of Andrew Jackson[137]
Rebecca Van Buren, granddaughter of Martin Van Buren[138]
Letitia Christian Tyler and Robert Tyler Jones, grandchildren of John Tyler[139][140]
The third presidential mansion,President's House inPhiladelphia, occupied by Washington from November 1790 – March 1797. Occupied by Adams: March 1797 – May 1800
Government House in Manhattan, built in 1790–1791, was designed to be the permanent presidential mansion, butCongress moved the national capital to Philadelphia before its completion.
President's House in Philadelphia (built in the 1790s), was not used by any president after the presidential mansion, known as the White House, was moved from Philadelphia to the new national capital of Washington, D.C.
Additions proposed by architect Frederick D. Owen in 1890[146]
The building's north front has been on the reverse of theU.S. $20 bill since 1998; an illustration of the south side was used for 70 years prior to its issuance.
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^"First Lady Biography: Pat Nixon". The National First Ladies Library. 2005.Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. RetrievedNovember 8, 2007.For the White House itself, and thus for the American people, Pat Nixon also decided to accelerate the collection process of fine antiques as well as historically associative pieces, adding some 600 paintings and antiques to the White House Collection. It was the single greatest collecting during any Administration.
^Bumiller, Elizabeth (January 2009)."Inside the Presidency".National Geographic. Archived fromthe original on December 22, 2008. RetrievedJune 24, 2012.
Abbott, James A.A Frenchman in Camelot: The Decoration of the Kennedy White House by Stéphane Boudin. Boscobel Restoration Inc.: 1995.ISBN978-0-9646659-0-3.
Guidas, John.The White House: Resources for Research at the Library of Congress. Library of Congress, 1992.
Huchet de Quénetain, Christophe. "De quelques bronzes dorés français conservés à la Maison-Blanche à Washington D.C." inLa Revue, Pierre Bergé & associés, n°6, mars 2005 pp. 54–55.OCLC62701407.
Kenny, Peter M., Frances F. Bretter and Ulrich Leben.Honoré Lannuier Cabinetmaker from Paris: The Life and Work of French Ébinistein Federal New York.The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Harry Abrams: 1998.ISBN978-0-87099-836-2.
Klara, Robert.The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of America's Most Famous Residence. Thomas Dunne Books: 2013.ISBN978-1-2500-0027-9.
Kloss, William.Art in the White House: A Nation's Pride. White House Historical Association in cooperation with the National Geographic Society, 1992.ISBN978-0-8109-3965-3.
McKellar, Kenneth, Douglas W. Orr, Edward Martin, et al.Report of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion. Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion, Government Printing Office: 1952.
Monkman, Betty C.The White House: The Historic Furnishing & First Families. Abbeville Press: 2000.ISBN978-0-7892-0624-4.
New York Life Insurance Company.The presidents from 1789 to 1908 and the History of the White House. New York Life Insurance Company: 1908.
Penaud, GuyDictionnaire des châteaux du Périgord. Editions Sud-Ouest: 1996.ISBN978-2-87901-221-6.
Phillips-Schrock, Patrick.The White House: An Illustrated Architectural History (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2013) 196 pp.
Seale, William.The President's House. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 1986.ISBN978-0-912308-28-9.
Seale, William (1986).The President's House, A History. Volume II. White House Historical Association. p. 689.1.ISBN978-0-912308-28-9.
Seale, William,The White House: The History of an American Idea. White House Historical Association: 1992, 2001.ISBN978-0-912308-85-2.
West, J.B. with Mary Lynn Kotz.Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan: 1973.ISBN978-0-698-10546-1.
Wolff, Perry.A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy. Doubleday & Company: 1962.[ISBN missing]
Exhibition Catalogue, Sale 6834: The Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis April 23–26, 1996. Sothebys, Inc.: 1996.
The White House: An Historic Guide. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 2001.ISBN978-0-912308-79-1.
The White House. The First Two Hundred Years, ed. by Frank Freidel/William Pencak, Boston 1994.[ISBN missing]
External links
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