The White House
Last year, when Barack O’bama won the Presidential election, he also won the keys to one of the most well known residences in the world, the White House. With over 200 years of history, the White House property has hosted inaugural celebrations, anti-war demonstrations, infantry drills, meetings of world leaders, presidential speeches – the list goes on and on.
Let’s take a look at the Obama’s new crib and some of the history behind it.
“For more than 200 years, the White House has been more than just the home of the Presidents and their families. Throughout the world, it is recognized as the symbol of the President, of the President’s administration, and of the United States.” www.WhiteHouse.gov
In 1901, under President Theodore Roosevelt, the Executive Mansion was officially named the “White House”
The Design for the White House was choosen from nine proposals; the winner was Irish-born architect James Hoban who won a gold medal for his design. The home is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in Northwest Washington D.C. and is still boasting most of its original exterior stone walls. Initial construction on the home began in October of 1792, and ended in November of 1800 when John Adams and his wife Abigail moved in; it has been the official residence of every American President since John Adams. The initial construction of the home took more than eight years and cost $232,371.83. Over the years, nearly every first family has altered the White House in some way. Today’s White House is a six-story Complex that consists of the Executive Residence, the East Wing, the West Wing and the Old Executive Office Building.
How Much is the White House Worth? I’m sure it’s priceless, but Zillow valued the property at just over $308 million in January. The home’s value decreased more than $23 million since January 2008 (according to the Zestimate). Thanks for the valuation Zillow!
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Throughout its long history the presidential estates have been under non-stop construction:
Oval Office in 1909 - Photo Credit: 1observatorycircle.com
Thomas Jefferson added the East and West Colonnades (today they’re the East and West Wings); the British Army set the White House on fire in 1814 during the War of 1812, which resulted in two years of reconstruction that lasted from 1815 – 1817; the South Portico was added in 1824 and the North was added in 1829; in 1833, the White House got running water for the first time; a greenhouse was constructed on the west side of the white house in 1857; in 1881, the first hydraulic elevator was installed; President Theodore Roosevelt moved offices to the new West Wing in 1901; William Howard Taft expanded the West Wing and constructed the first Oval Office in 1909; in 1927, the third-floor was converted into living quarters; in 1929, the West Wing caught on fire during Herbert Hoover’s presidency; in 1934, the West Wing was rebuilt and expanded; an East Wing office building was erected in 1942; construction on the home basically stopped in the early 1950s during Harry S. Truman’s presidency when the internal load-bearing walls became steel framework and the interior rooms were reassembled.
Although major construction projects aren’t as common, renovation and redecorating by Presidential Families continue:
Nixon Bowling in the White House - Photo Credit: White House Museum
Jacqueline Kennedy had the home restored and redecorated in the early 60s, which involved theming main rooms around different periods of our early Republic and world history; in the early 70s Pat Nixon refurbished several rooms and Richard Nixon created a modern press briefing room and added a single-lane bowling alley in the basement; The Reagans gave maintenance to public areas and redecorated the private family quarters; the Clintons refurbished the Oval Office, the East Room, the Blue Room, the State Dining Room, the Lincoln Bedroom and other rooms; first lady Laura Bush refurbished the Green Room, the Cabinet Rom, the theater and re-themed the Lincoln Room to make it reflect the time of Lincoln and the Obama’s redesigned their living quarters and have ushered in new paintings throughout the White House with “bold colors, odd shapes and squiggly lines” the Associated Press.
The White House Specs and Features
6-stories, 55,000 square feet of floor space, 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, 3 elevators, 412 doors, 147 windows, 8 staircases & 18-acres
Recreational Facilities
Tennis court, jogging track, bowling lane, movie theater and swimming pool
Also Known As
President’s Palace, President’s House, Executive Mansion, America’s Home
The White House Property
The White House is located within President’s Park, which was formerly known as Lafayette Park and Square. In addition to the White House, President’s park consists of Lafayette Park (North of the White House 7-acres), The Ellipse (South of the White House 52-acres) and a visitors center; there are several monuments and statues and memorials located throughout President’s Park. Visitors touring the park will take the Northern trail or the Southern trail to see all that the park has to offer.
What You’ll See Along the Northern Trail
White House Visitor Center | General Sherman Stature | U.S. Department of the Treasury | White House North Lawn Lafayette Park | General Lafayette Statue | General Kosciuszko Stature | General Jackson Statue | Baruch Bench of Inspiration | Navy Yard Urns | General Rochambeau Statue | General von Steuben Statue | Blair-Lee House Eisenhower Executive Office Building | First Division Monument
What You’ll See Along the Southern Trail
White House Visitor Center | Boy Scout Memorial | Original Patentees Memorial | Bulfinch Gatehouses | Haupt Fountains | The Ellipse | Second Division Memorial | National Christmas Tree | Zero Milestone | Butt-Millet Fountain White House South Lawn
See Also:
White House Rooms
White House Art
Sources:
Changing the Art on the White House Walls
The White House Time Machine
The White House Historical Association
Wikipedia.org – The White House
The History of the White House
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The White House is an American icon. Thanks for reminding us how it has evolved over the years.
Augusta GA Homes´s last blog ..All Brick 4 BR 2 BA In Columbia County
I wonder if Richard Nixon was a good bowler?
@Swimming Pools – me too – I’m sure he was if he went far enough to install an alley in the basement
Wow! Thanks for the interesting and entertaining post! This post is just jam packed with trivia. How many bathrooms are in the White House? 35. When was the Oval Office installed in the White House? 1909. How many secret meetings did President Nixon have in the White House? No one knows.
Thanks for the great history lesson. Definitley some interesting facts about the White House.
Very interesting read. Thanks for sharing. 35 bathrooms just blows my mind.