When it was completed in 1800, the building at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was the largest house in the newly founded United States. Yet the first resident and second president John Adams was not pleased with the cold and damp shelter. The President’s House or Executive Mansion, as the White House was called until 1901, was nothing compared to the palatial palaces in Europe. Congress had not wanted to spend a dime too much on the president’s residence. The first president of the US still lived in the first temporary capital, Philadelphia. He had asked Congress to budget for a decent home in Washington DC. He received heads of state and diplomats and felt that he should be able to receive them in a dignified accommodation, he himself thought of a palace based on a European example. However, Congress saw things differently and budgeted $232,371 for a presidential building. That amount would be around 2.5 million euros in 2012.
Irish model
The White House was built after the District of Columbia (Washington DC’s DC) was completed in 1790. Washington as a city was built from scratch. George Washington had appointed an Irish architect to design the official residence. The model for the White House was Leinster House in Dublin, the current Irish parliament building. Construction started in 1792 and lasted eight years.
Low costs
To keep costs low, an upper third floor was eliminated. Cutbacks were also made on the stones, which quickly became porous and were protected by lime, starch, and lead, which made the White House white. The building was not finished when John Adams moved in. First lady Abigail Adams complained bitterly. The draughty house could not be heated. Thomas Jefferson, the third president who took office in 1801, immediately had the outdoor toilet replaced by an indoor one.
Fire
In 1814, the building was set on fire by English troops occupying Washington. The Americans were at war with Great Britain. In revenge for the fires in Toronto in the British colony of Canada, the English tried to burn Washington to the ground. First lady Dolley Madison was home and was only able to salvage a few items before having to flee the burning residence.
Facelift
The fifth President James Monroe gave the White House a major facelift in 1817. Monroe had a fine nose for stylish furniture. He had tasteful interior, damask carpets and porcelain brought over from Paris. Even things like the kitchen utensils and cutlery were replaced by Monroe. A garden was also laid out and a gardener was hired.
Amendments
The current White House is the result of minor and major changes, renovations and additions over the two centuries. In 1840, running water was added to the building and a bathtub was installed. The telephone was introduced in 1879 and electricity in 1891. Then-President Harrison was afraid of electricity and had the staff operate the electrical outlets and light switches.
Demolition
The interior was severely damaged in 1829 by President Jackson’s supporters. His supporters from Mississippi had come to Washington and the White House to cheer their president. However, the small rooms could not handle such a mass. The damage was repaired. In 1870 it was proposed to replace the White House with a new and more spacious building. The plans for the demolition of the White House and the construction of a new official residence were already ready. However, the expensive construction was canceled at the last minute due to an economic crisis in 1873.
Extension and interior
In 1902, Teddy Roosevelt had a west wing added. Later in 1933, that other president, Franklin Roosevelt, replaced the wing for the current one. The east wing followed in 1942. After a piano leg fell through the floor of the second floor in 1945, President Truman had the White House completely renovated. Because the renovation had cost a fortune, Congress wanted to cut back on furniture. First Lady Jacky Kennedy was shocked by the cheap furniture she found in 1961. She immediately set to work to restore the house’s dignity. According to many, she succeeded in this with the help of interior architects and interior designers. The result was broadcast on television and watched by 80 million American viewers. In 1969, President Nixon had the swimming pool converted into a press center.
Heritage
In the early 1950s, the White House became national heritage and therefore protected from major changes. In 1964, a law was passed that established a procedure for new changes to the interior and exterior of the White House. There has since been a Committee for the Preservation of the White House . This committee must approve changes from now on.
After all, the White House has
- 5111 square meters of surface area
- 132 rooms
- 3 kitchens
- 35 bathrooms
- 3 elevators
- 28 fireplaces
- 1 cinema room
- 1 bowling hall
- 1 tennis court
- 1 swimming pool