The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. It has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800.

The house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia Creek sandstone in the Neoclassical style. 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. 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. Reconstruction began almost immediately, and President James Monroe moved into the partially reconstructed Executive Residence in October 1817. 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. Eight years later, President William Howard Taft expanded the West Wing and created the first Oval Office which was eventually moved as the section was expanded. In the main mansion, the third-floor attic was converted to living quarters in 1927 by augmenting the existing hip roof with long shed dormers. A newly constructed East Wing was used as a reception area for social events; Jefferson's colonnades connected the new wings. East Wing alterations were completed in 1946, creating additional office space. By 1948, the house's load-bearing exterior walls and internal wood beams were found to be close to failure. Under Harry S. Truman, the interior rooms were completely dismantled and a new internal load-bearing steel frame constructed inside the walls. Once this work was completed, the interior rooms were rebuilt.

The modern-day White House complex includes the Executive Residence, West Wing, East Wing, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building—the former State Department, which now houses offices for the President's staff and the Vice President—and Blair House, a guest residence. The Executive Residence is made up of six stories—the Ground Floor, State Floor, Second Floor, and Third Floor, as well as a two-story basement. The property is a National Heritage Site owned by the National Park Service and is part of the President's Park.

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User Reviews

Konstantin Ulanov (3 years ago)
Famous The White House - residence of the President of the United States of America
D D (6 years ago)
Well shielded. But you can take a photo with the building in the background ...
Carol Ann Hill (6 years ago)
I am in washington dc visiting all the famous places and wow I saw the white house! The real white house where the president sleeps and everything! It looked like there was a lot of security when I came today -- not sure what was going on -- but a pretty site nonetheless
Amir Herzberg (6 years ago)
This is a great place to visit if you're in DC for the sites. It's such an important historical site. Make sure to plan your trip and get a reservation a few weeks or even months ahead of time for a tour. It's always crowded in the summer and you might have to wait in line for a while to get through the security checkpoints, but just seeing it from the inside is worth it. Seeing it from the street is nothing like seeing it up close and walking through the building.
Brian Dillard (6 years ago)
Try and obtain a White House tour by contacting your congress person’s office in advance. Or if you happen to know any Secret Service Agents, then maybe you can expedite the ticketing process. The tour is high security (obviously) and, once you’re inside you are able to roam through the White House East Wing in designated rooms. You’ll enjoy an historic experience as you view portraits, hear stories, and enjoy the weightiness of the place itself. A friend who we joined had gone during Christmas season and highly recommends a visit then!
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