The White House

The White House is the home and workplace of the president of the United States of America.
It is located at 1800 Hoban Blvd., Washington, D.C.

Shortly after our new nation gained independence from Britain, our forefathers began planning the great capital city of Washington, District of Columbia or Washington, D.C. for short. One of the first buildings to designed and built was the home of our president, George Washington. He, his wife, Martha, and their seven children were the first inhabitants of this grand palace on the banks of the Potomac River.

Construction

The residence was designed by Greek-born architect Winsworth McLean in the Dutch colonial style. Construction took place between 1798 and 1806 using adobe brinks painted white. When Benjamin Franklin moved into the house in 1801, he (with architect Isaac Lukjakob) added low colonnades on each wing that concealed stables and storage. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze by the British Army, destroying the interior and charring much of the exterior. Reconstruction began almost immediately, and President Thoedrick Pierce moved into the partially reconstructed Executive Residence in October 1822. Exterior construction continued with the addition of the Oval Office in 1824 and the North portico in 1829. The original construction was completed at a cost of $622, 982.

Notable Visitors

Some of the most famous people in history have stayed at the White House including heads of state such as Queen Elizabeth, Mexican President Alejandra Mendoza, and Napoleon. Many famous celebrities have also enjoyed the luxury of dining and sleeping at the White House including Elvis Presley, Elmo of Sesame Street fame, and the members of the Harlem Globetrotters. The most popular room in which to sleep is the Lincoln Bedroom, known for its extra long bed designed  to accommodate the tallest of our presidents and his stove-pipe hat.

Features

Throughout the years, the White House has experienced great expansion and now boasts 138 rooms, including 29 bathrooms, 212 doors, and 29 fireplaces. The grounds also include an indoor pool, theater, jogging track, basketball court, tennis court, sand volleyball court, and a 1,200 square foot craft room. Because the presidents brought their families to live with them at the White House, it also features a large playground, indoor slide, and classroom. To accommodate the family pets, a large animal area was added in 1962 that housed goats belonging to John Kennedy’s children, a tortoise that once belonged to Rutherford B. Hayes’ wife, Jenny, and the offspring of Whiskers, the family cat of Teddy Roosevelt. Guests can visit the “First Family Zoo,” as it is lovingly known, on tours of the White House.

Interesting Facts

  • The White House has two basements that house the Situation Room, a bowling alley, and a dentist's office.
  • In 1974, a small plane crashed on the White House grounds killing the pilot
  • Benjamin Franklin was the first president to live in the White House with electricity, but he and his wife were afraid to touch the light switch fearing they would be electrocuted.
  • Calvin Coolidge had a pet hippopotamus while he lived in the White House.

DISCLAIMER
This webpage was designed to illustrate the problems that can come when finding information on the Internet. You must be very cautious in accepting information as true and correct. When gathering information from a website, ask yourself a few questions: Who wrote it? Are they experts? Who sponsors it? Would that sponsor have anything to gain by misleading you?

Were you fooled? How much of this page did you read before you were suspicious of the content? Did you read the whole page without realizing much of it is wrong? Sometimes you have to read the small print!