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| White House Of America |
The official residence of the President of the United States is known as the White House.
Where is the White House? What is
the home like? The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, in
Washington DC. It was designed by James Hoban, and it was constructed over the
course of eight years from 1792 to 1800.
Its initial cost was just over
$232,300 (this would be more than $3,000,000 today!).
When construction was complete, the
outside of the building was whitewashed with a mixture that included lime, rice
glue, casein, and lead. This gave the home its distinctive color, which it is
so well known for today. The first president who lived in the house was John
Adams, and he took residency in November of 1800, before the structure was even
complete. Adams only lived there for a short time though, since he lost his bid
for re-election that same year. Every president since Adams has lived in the
home.
During the War of 1812, the house
was nearly destroyed in a fire.The British invaded Washington DC and burned
much of the nation’s capital, including the White House.
After the fire, the only part of the
building that remained intact was the exterior walls.
However, even the outside walls had
to be torn down and rebuilt because of the damage the structure had sustained. The
home has not always been known as the White House. It was originally known by
the titles the Presidential Palace, or the Executive Mansion. The earliest
reference to the term “White House” comes from 1811, but it was not officially known
by that name until 1901 when Theodore Roosevelt had it placed on the official
Executive Mansion stationery. Throughout the 1900s, the White House became
synonymous with the President of the United States.
There have been many expansions and
improvements to the White House over the years. The first renovations came
during the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt.
Improvements also took place during
the Taft and Hoover administrations.
Probably the most significant reconstruction took place during Harry Truman’s presidency, when an internal steel frame was added. At that time, the floor plan was also altered to its modern configuration. First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy also oversaw a dramatic redecoration of the White House interior during the early 1960s.There are three main areas to the White House, the executive residence, the West Wing, and the East Wing. The executive residence is where the president and his or her family actually live. The West Wing includes the president’s office, staff offices, the Cabinet Room (where the cabinet holds its official meetings), and the press briefing room.
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| White House Front View |
The West Wing also includes the
White House Situation Room. This is a conference room, in the basement of the
West Wing, from which the president
monitors and manages crisis
situations. The East Wing has housed many things over the years, including the
offices of the First Lady. The White House has six stories with more than
55,000 square feet of floor space. There are eight staircases, three elevators,
and 147 windows. The home includes 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, and
412 doors. There is a swimming pool, tennis court, jogging track, putting
green, movie theater, and a single-lane bowling alley.
The White House also employs five
full-time chefs to serve the president and other important White House guests. There
are several famous rooms within the White House. The Oval Office is the
official office of the President, known by this name because of its oval shape.
Other rooms are known by the color of the walls and furniture in those rooms. For
example, the White House includes the Red Room, the Green Room, the Yellow Oval
Room, and the Blue Room, all of which are used for various dinner parties and
receptions. There are also several famous bedrooms in the White House. The most
notable of all of these is the Lincoln Bedroom.
It is known by this name because the
central feature of the room is a large, ornate bed
which was purchased by Mary Todd
Lincoln during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency.
Also, Lincoln’s office used to
occupy this same area in the White House.
The Queen’s Bedroom is another
well-known White House bedroom.
It was given this name in honor of
the number of royal guests who have stayed in the room. The Queen of the United
Kingdom has stayed there, as well as the queens of Norway, the Netherlands,
Greece, and Nepal. The White House Rose Garden is another prominent feature. The
Rose Garden was created in 1913 at the request of Ellen Wilson, wife of Woodrow
Wilson. The garden is 125 feet long and 60 feet wide.
It is frequently used to greet important guests or hold special ceremonies at the White House. The White House is sometimes referred to as “the people’s house”.
In its earliest days, visitors were
allowed to casually stroll the White House grounds
and even enter the home. Thomas
Jefferson would come out and personally greet those who were touring the house
at lunchtime. As time has progressed, it has become increasingly difficult to
enter the White House. However, it is still toured by thousands of people each
day. In fact, more than 100,000 people a month visit the White House.
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