The Grounds
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Today, the White House and/or White House grounds are open periodically to the public for tours. The home would continue to evolve to meet the needs of a changing presidency and a changing nation, including adding the West Wing in 1901, a second story in the 1930s, structural renovations from 1949 to 1951, and an extensive interior redecoration from 1961 to 1963. All U.S. citizens ages 18 and older, and foreign nationals of all ages (including children), must present a valid, government-issued photo ID upon arrival for their tour. The Cabinet Room, as its name implies, is where the president meets with members of his cabinet, and the Roosevelt Room, where Theodore Roosevelt's office was located, serves as a general-purpose conference room. It has been used by nearly every president since, with the exceptions of Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. There are rumors of secret rooms in the building, but, according to the White House Historical Association, the only "secret" passage is an emergency shelter built under the East Wing during the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, following the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor.
The Administration
A U.S. driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification for foreign nationals. No foreign-issued state IDs, foreign-issued driver’s licenses, expired passports, photocopies, other transmissions of these documents, or other forms of identification will be accepted. Individuals without acceptable identification, or whose identification does not exactly match the information previously registered, may be denied entry.
Historic sites in Washington D.C.
During Jefferson’s tenure, the White House was elegantly furnished in Louis XVI style (known in America as Federal style). The presidential family's residences and different reception rooms, which are all adorned in 18th- and 19th-century styles, are still located in the main building. The press briefing room is located on the west terrace, and a theater is located on the east terrace of White House. The West Wing of White House contains the cabinet and pressrooms in addition to the Oval Office, which is known as the presidential office, while the East Wing houses various offices. By the time of the Civil War, the president’s study had moved to the second floor and Abraham Lincoln met with the secretaries in his office in the south-east corner of the second floor (now the Lincoln Bedroom). Theodore Roosevelt built the West Wing to provide more work space for his staff, and to give his large family more room on the second floor of the original building.
The architectural style of the White House
The design borrows heavily from Leinster Building in Dublin Ireland where the lead architect, James Hoban. The design of the White House did not leave out future expansion since it was situated on spacious land. Architect Eric Gugler more than doubled the space of what was becoming known as the “West Wing,” added a swimming pool in the west terrace for the polio-stricken president, and moved the Oval Office to the southeast corner. A new east wing was constructed in 1942, its cloakroom transformed into a movie theater. The White House was designed by Irish architect James Hoban, whose winning design was selected by President George Washington in a competition for the honor of designing the home of the American president. The original laborers and stonecutter constructing the White House were African American slaves hired from their owners.
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In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt began a major renovation of the White House, including the relocation of the President’s offices from the Second Floor of the Residence to the newly constructed temporary Executive Office Building (now known as the West Wing). The Roosevelt renovation was planned and carried out by the famous New York architectural firm McKim, Mead and White. Roosevelt’s successor, President William Howard Taft, had the Oval Office constructed within an enlarged office wing. William Taft hired architect Nathan Wyeth to expand the executive wing in 1909, resulting in the formation of the Oval Office as the president’s work space. In 1913, the White House added another enduring feature with Ellen Wilson’s Rose Garden.
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The building’s history begins in 1792, when a public competition was held to choose a design for a presidential residence in the new capital city of Washington. The structure was to have three floors and more than 100 rooms and would be built in sandstone imported from quarries along Aquia Creek in Virginia. Labourers, including local enslaved people, were housed in temporary huts built on the north side of the premises. They were joined by skilled stonemasons from Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1793. White House, Official residence of the U.S. president, in Washington, D.C. It has been the home of every president since John Adams.
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Today, we answered history’s call at this critical inflection point.With the signing of our national security package, we tell the world that America stands resolutely for democracy and freedom, and against tyranny and oppression. Proceeds raised at the dinner, which is a celebration of the First Amendment, go towards the WHCA and the journalists who work to cover the president. Los Angeles, America’s second largest city and the West Coast’s biggest economic powerhouse, was originally settled by indigenous tribes, including the Chumash and Tongva hunter gatherers, by 8000 B.C.
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In the 1820s, Hoban added eastern and western terraces as well as a semicircular southern portico and a colonnaded northern portico. The later addition of the West Wing (1902) and East Wing (1942) provided additional office space. Theodore Roosevelt adopted “White House” as the building’s official name in 1902. Because of crowding within the executive mansion itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901.
Make Your Inbox the Best in History
The White House’s attic was converted into a third floor during the Coolidge administration, and over the years, it has hosted a music room for President Clinton and a bedroom suite for Melania Trump. There is also a solarium, added by Grace Coolidge, with panoramic views of the Mall. The largest room in the White House is the East Room, which measures about 80 feet by 37 feet (24 meters by 11 meters). Here receptions, balls, concerts, and bill-signing ceremonies are held; plays and operas are presented on a specially built stage. Despite its great size, the room is gracious, with an oak parquetry floor, gold and ivory draperies, white enameled woodwork, and crystal chandeliers.
In 1947, a chandelier in the Blue Room almost fell on Bess Truman and her guests from the Daughters of the American Revolution, and in 1948, the leg of Margaret Truman’s piano pierced through the floor of what is now the private dining room. Engineers confirmed that the building was at risk of collapse, and Truman and his family relocated to Blair House, the president’s guesthouse located nearby at 1651 Pennsylvania Ave. The White House has undergone many renovations throughout its history, starting with Thomas Jefferson, who, along with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe, added the East and West Colonnades, which now link the East and West Wings with the Executive Residence. The first major renovation of the White House took place during the War of 1812. On August 24, 1814, British troops marched on Washington, DC, and burned the White House, the Capitol, and several other public buildings. Hoban returned to rebuild the residence, and while work was completed in 1817, he continued to work on additions for several more years.
This is an oval room distinguished by the sapphire-blue color scheme of its drapes, upholstery, and carpet. The official home of the president of the United States is the White House, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. In Washington, D.C. The stately, white stone home is almost as old as the United States. Americans have a deep regard for it as a symbol of the country’s history and unity. The White House has also been subjected to disaster, including two fires, one at the hands of the British in 1814 and one in the West Wing in 1929. The White House is one of the few prominent buildings in Washington, D.C.
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