It’s the official presidential office and residence of the sitting U.S. President. It’s located in Washington, District of Columbia, United States.
The city of Washington was created to replace Philadelphia as the nation’s capital because of its geographical position in the center of the existing new republic.
The states of Maryland and Virginia ceded land around the Potomac River to form the District of Columbia, and work began on Washington in 1791.
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| View of Rose Garden |
In 1792, work began on the White House building at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Irish American architect James Hoban oversaw the design and President George Washington chose the site.
In 1800, President John Adams became the first president to reside in the executive mansion, which soon became known as the “White House.” The reason was the building’s white-gray Virginia freestone. which was a striking contrast to the red brick of nearby buildings.
On November 1, President John Adams was welcomed into the executive mansion. His wife, Abigail, wrote about their new home: “I pray heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house, and on all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but wise men ever rule under this roof!”
In 1814, during the War of 1812, the White House was set on fire along with the U.S. Capitol by British soldiers. The burned-out building was subsequently rebuilt and enlarged under the direction of James Hoban, who added east and west terraces to the main building, along with a semicircular south portico and a colonnaded north portico. The smoke-stained stone walls were painted white. Work was completed on the White House in the 1820s.
Major restoration occurred during the administration of President Harry Truman, and Truman lived across the street for several years in Blair House.
Since 1995, Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and Lafayette Square has been closed to vehicular traffic for security reasons.
It is the oldest federal building in the nation’s capital.—Source: History.com and the Public Domain.