In 2007, it was ranked second on the American Institute of Architects list of "America's Favorite Architecture". ==Early history== ===1789–1800=== Following his April 1789 inauguration, President George Washington occupied two private houses in New York City as the executive mansion.
Construction on the French house was initially started before 1789, interrupted by the French Revolution for twenty years and then finally built 1812–1817 (based on Salat's pre-1789 design).
Supporters of a connection posit that Thomas Jefferson, during his tour of Bordeaux in 1789, viewed Salat's architectural drawings (which were on-file at the college) at the École Spéciale d'Architecture (Bordeaux Architectural College).
The Presidents from 1789 to 1908 and the History of the White House.
He lived at the first, known as the Franklin House and owned by Treasury Commissioner Samuel Osgood, at 3Cherry Street through late February 1790.
The executive mansion moved to the larger quarters of the Alexander Macomb House at 39–41 Broadway where he stayed, with his wife and a small staff until August 1790.
In May 1790, New York began construction of a "proper" house for the presidential mansion, Government House.
Washington never used the mansion because it was not completed until after the national capital was moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in December 1790. The July 1790 Residence Act designated the capital be permanently located in the new Federal District, and temporarily in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for ten years while the permanent capital was built.
Philadelphia rented the mansion of the wealthy merchant Robert Morris at 190 High Street (now 524–30 Market Street) as the President's House, which Washington occupied from November 1790 to March 1797.
It remained vacant until it was sold to the University of Pennsylvania in 1800. ===Architectural competition=== The President's House was a major feature of Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant's 1791 plan for the newly established federal city, Washington, D.C.
Hoban ultimately supervised the construction of both the US Capitol and the White House. President Washington visited Charleston, South Carolina, in May 1791 on his "Southern Tour", and saw the under-construction Charleston County Courthouse designed by Hoban.
Construction took place between 1792 and 1800 using Aquia Creek sandstone painted white.
On Saturday, November 1, 1800, he became the first president to occupy the White House. The President's House in Philadelphia was converted into the Union Hotel, and later used for stores, before being demolished in 1832. Philadelphia began construction of a much grander presidential mansion several blocks away in 1792.
The following year, he summoned the architect to Philadelphia and met with him in June 1792. On July 16, 1792, the president met with the commissioners of the federal city to make his judgment in the architectural competition.
On his return to the US he then shared the influence with Washington, Hoban, Monroe, and Benjamin Henry Latrobe. ===Construction=== Though there is no record of a formal ceremony, construction of the White House began at noon on October 13, 1792 with the laying of the cornerstone.
Philadelphia rented the mansion of the wealthy merchant Robert Morris at 190 High Street (now 524–30 Market Street) as the President's House, which Washington occupied from November 1790 to March 1797.
Since the house was too small to accommodate the thirty people who made up the presidential family, staff, and servants, Washington had it enlarged. President John Adams also occupied the High Street mansion from March 1797 to May 1800.
It was nearly completed by the time of Adam's 1797 inauguration.
president since John Adams in 1800.
Construction took place between 1792 and 1800 using Aquia Creek sandstone painted white.
Since the house was too small to accommodate the thirty people who made up the presidential family, staff, and servants, Washington had it enlarged. President John Adams also occupied the High Street mansion from March 1797 to May 1800.
On Saturday, November 1, 1800, he became the first president to occupy the White House. The President's House in Philadelphia was converted into the Union Hotel, and later used for stores, before being demolished in 1832. Philadelphia began construction of a much grander presidential mansion several blocks away in 1792.
It remained vacant until it was sold to the University of Pennsylvania in 1800. ===Architectural competition=== The President's House was a major feature of Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant's 1791 plan for the newly established federal city, Washington, D.C.
Although not yet completed, the White House was ready for occupancy circa November 1, 1800. Shortages of material and labor forced alterations to the earlier plan developed by French engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant for a "palace" that was five times larger than the house that was eventually built.
When Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he (with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe) added low colonnades on each wing that concealed stables and storage.
Roosevelt had Adams's blessing carved into the mantel in the State Dining Room. Adams lived in the house only briefly before Thomas Jefferson moved into the "pleasant country residence" in 1801.
President Thomas Jefferson held an open house for his second inaugural in 1805, and many of the people at his swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol followed him home, where he greeted them in the Blue Room.
The earliest evidence of the public calling it the "White House" was recorded in 1811.
In 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze by the British Army in the Burning of Washington, destroying the interior and charring much of the exterior.
Construction on the French house was initially started before 1789, interrupted by the French Revolution for twenty years and then finally built 1812–1817 (based on Salat's pre-1789 design).
Today, Jefferson's colonnades link the residence with the East and West Wings. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the White House was set ablaze by British troops during the Burning of Washington, in retaliation for attacking and burning Toronto (then called York), Port Dover and other towns in Upper Canada; much of Washington was affected by these fires as well.
In 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze by the British Army in the Burning of Washington, destroying the interior and charring much of the exterior.
Today, Jefferson's colonnades link the residence with the East and West Wings. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the White House was set ablaze by British troops during the Burning of Washington, in retaliation for attacking and burning Toronto (then called York), Port Dover and other towns in Upper Canada; much of Washington was affected by these fires as well.
Some observers allege that most of these spoils were lost when a convoy of British ships led by HMS Fantome sank en route to Halifax off Prospect during a storm on the night of November 24, 1814, even though Fantome had no involvement in that action. After the fire, President James Madison resided in the Octagon House from 1814 to 1815, and then the Seven Buildings from 1815 to the end of his term.
Though Latrobe proposed similar porticos before the fire in 1814, both porticos were built as designed by Hoban.
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.
Some observers allege that most of these spoils were lost when a convoy of British ships led by HMS Fantome sank en route to Halifax off Prospect during a storm on the night of November 24, 1814, even though Fantome had no involvement in that action. After the fire, President James Madison resided in the Octagon House from 1814 to 1815, and then the Seven Buildings from 1815 to the end of his term.
Meanwhile, both architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe and Hoban contributed to the design and oversight of the reconstruction, which lasted from 1815 until 1817.
Reconstruction began almost immediately, and President James Monroe moved into the partially reconstructed Executive Residence in October 1817.
Meanwhile, both architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe and Hoban contributed to the design and oversight of the reconstruction, which lasted from 1815 until 1817.
Exterior construction continued with the addition of the semi-circular South portico in 1824 and the North portico in 1829. Because of crowding within the executive mansion itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901.
The south portico was constructed in 1824 during the James Monroe administration; the north portico was built six years later.
Exterior construction continued with the addition of the semi-circular South portico in 1824 and the North portico in 1829. Because of crowding within the executive mansion itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901.
Those open houses sometimes became rowdy: in 1829, President Andrew Jackson had to leave for a hotel when roughly 20,000 citizens celebrated his inauguration inside the White House.
The central three bays are behind a prostyle portico (this was a later addition to the house, built circa 1830) serving, thanks to the carriage ramp, as a porte cochere.
On Saturday, November 1, 1800, he became the first president to occupy the White House. The President's House in Philadelphia was converted into the Union Hotel, and later used for stores, before being demolished in 1832. Philadelphia began construction of a much grander presidential mansion several blocks away in 1792.
Kennedy installed an antique "Vue de l'Amérique Nord" wallpaper which Zuber & Cie had designed in 1834.
Arthur took office in 1881, he ordered renovations to the White House to take place as soon as the recently widowed Lucretia Garfield moved out.
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 of gold leaf, and decorating the ceiling in gold and silver, and colorful traceries woven to spell "USA".
Even so, the practice continued until 1885, when newly elected Grover Cleveland arranged for a presidential review of the troops from a grandstand in front of the White House instead of the traditional open house.
A fifty-foot jeweled Tiffany glass screen, supported by imitation marble columns, replaced the glass doors that separated the main corridor from the north vestibule. In 1891, First Lady Caroline Harrison 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.
Exterior construction continued with the addition of the semi-circular South portico in 1824 and the North portico in 1829. Because of crowding within the executive mansion itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901.
The name "Executive Mansion" was used in official contexts until President Theodore Roosevelt established the formal name by having "White House–Washington" engraved on the stationery in 1901.
Some reports suggest sandstone from the Croatian island of Brač (specifically the Pučišća quarry whose stone was used to build the ancient Diocletian's Palace in Split) was used in the original construction of the building, contrarily researchers believe limestone from the island was used in the 1902 renovations and not the original construction.
These plans were ultimately rejected. However, in 1902 Theodore Roosevelt hired McKim, 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.
The Presidents from 1789 to 1908 and the History of the White House.
New York Life Insurance Company: 1908. Penaud, Guy Dictionnaire des châteaux du Périgord.
Eight years later in 1909, President William Howard Taft expanded the West Wing and created the first Oval Office, which was eventually moved as the section was expanded.
In 1925, Congress enacted legislation allowing the White House to accept gifts of furniture and art for the first time.
In the main mansion, the third-floor attic was converted to living quarters in 1927 by augmenting the existing [roof] with long shed dormers.
Those receptions ended in the early 1930s, although President Bill Clinton briefly revived the New Year's Day open house in his first term. ===Aviation incidents=== In February 1974, a stolen army helicopter landed without authorization on the White House's grounds.
The general layout of the White House grounds today is based on the 1935 design by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.
Employees and slaves rescued a painting of George Washington,, in 1939, a Canadian man returned a jewelry box to President Franklin Roosevelt, claiming that his grandfather had taken it from Washington, and, also in 1939, a medicine chest that had belonged to President Madison was returned by the descendants of a British naval officer.
East Wing alterations were completed in 1946, creating additional office space.
By 1948, the residence's load-bearing exterior walls and internal wood beams were found to be close to failure.
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 at Blair House from 1949 to 1951.
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 at Blair House from 1949 to 1951.
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 at Blair House from 1949 to 1951.
The Trumans moved back into the White House on March 27, 1952.
Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion, Government Printing Office: 1952. Monkman, Betty C.
The wallpaper had hung previously on the walls of another mansion until 1961 when that house was demolished for a grocery store.
Sale of the guidebook helped finance the restoration. Kennedy showed her restoration of the White House to the public in a televised tour of the house on Valentine's Day in 1962. ==The White House since the Kennedy restoration== Congress enacted legislation in September 1961 declaring the White House a museum.
The first official White House guide, published in 1962, suggested a link between Hoban's design for the South Portico and Château de Rastignac, a neoclassical country house located in La Bachellerie in the Dordogne region of France and designed by Mathurin Salat.
Sale of the guidebook helped finance the restoration. Kennedy showed her restoration of the White House to the public in a televised tour of the house on Valentine's Day in 1962. ==The White House since the Kennedy restoration== Congress enacted legislation in September 1961 declaring the White House a museum.
Doubleday & Company: 1962.
Newsweek Book Division: 1972.
Coward, McCann & Geoghegan: 1973.
Those receptions ended in the early 1930s, although President Bill Clinton briefly revived the New Year's Day open house in his first term. ===Aviation incidents=== In February 1974, a stolen army helicopter landed without authorization on the White House's grounds.
Rosalynn Carter, in 1977, was the first to place her personal office in the East Wing and to formally call it the "Office of the First Lady".
White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 1986.
The house was accredited as a museum in 1988. In the 1990s, Bill and Hillary Clinton refurbished some rooms with the assistance of Arkansas decorator Kaki Hockersmith, including the Oval Office, the East Room, Blue Room, State Dining Room, Lincoln Bedroom, and Lincoln Sitting Room.
The house was accredited as a museum in 1988. In the 1990s, Bill and Hillary Clinton refurbished some rooms with the assistance of Arkansas decorator Kaki Hockersmith, including the Oval Office, the East Room, Blue Room, State Dining Room, Lincoln Bedroom, and Lincoln Sitting Room.
In the 1990s, Hillary Clinton, at the suggestion of Visitors Office Director Melinda N.
Library of Congress, 1992. Huchet de Quénetain, Christophe.
White House Historical Association in cooperation with the National Geographic Society, 1992.
White House Historical Association: 1992, 2001.
by Frank Freidel/William Pencak, Boston 1994.
Boscobel Restoration Inc.: 1995.
Northeastern University Press: 1995.
Editions Sud-Ouest: 1996.
Exhibition Catalogue, Sale 6834: The Estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis April 23–26, 1996.
Sothebys, Inc.: 1996. The White House: An Historic Guide.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Harry Abrams: 1998.
Simon & Schuster: 2000.
Abbeville Press: 2000.
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 the Treasury Building. After September 11, 2001, this change was made permanent in addition to closing E Street between the South Portico of the White House and the Ellipse.
White House Historical Association: 1992, 2001.
White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 2001.
It allowed easy wheelchair 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.
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.
during the 2005 presidential inauguration.
"De quelques bronzes dorés français conservés à la Maison-Blanche à Washington D.C." in La Revue, Pierre Bergé & associés, n°6, mars 2005 pp. 54–55.
On the weekend of June 23, 2006, a century-old American Elm (Ulmus americana L.) tree on the north side of the building came down during one of the many storms amid intense flooding.
Acanthus Press: 2006.
In 2007, it was ranked second on the American Institute of Architects list of "America's Favorite Architecture". ==Early history== ===1789–1800=== Following his April 1789 inauguration, President George Washington occupied two private houses in New York City as the executive mansion.
In 2007, work was completed on renovations of the press briefing room, adding fiber optic cables and LCD screens for the display of charts and graphs.
In 2013, President Barack Obama had a set of solar panels installed on the roof of the White House, making it the first time solar power would be used for the president's living quarters. ===Layout and amenities=== Today the group of buildings housing the presidency is known as the White House Complex.
White House tours were suspended for most of 2013 due to budget constraints after sequestration.
The White House reopened to the public in November 2013. ===Protection=== The White House Complex is protected by the United States Secret Service and the United States Park Police. NASAMS (Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) were used to guard air space over Washington, D.C.
Thomas Dunne Books: 2013.
The White House: An Illustrated Architectural History (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2013) 196 pp. Seale, William.
The tree stood for over 200 years; but 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.
In 2020, First Lady Melania Trump redesigned the Rose Garden. ==Public access and security== ===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.
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