The White House is one of the most recognizable symbols of America today. It might be hard to believe that just 200 years ago, the location of this iconic structure held nothing more than a small village. Inspired by the question, "Where should our president live?" the White House was created as a symbol of not only a new country but of inspiring leadership.
The building of the White House began with the Residence Act, passed by Congress in 1790. President George Washington was allowed to select the specific site, and he decided that the government would be housed in an area "not exceeding ten miles square … on the river Potomac." Once the location for the house was determined, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson held an open contest for a designer. Nine people submitted proposals, and the Irish-born James Hoban was chosen. He was given a gold medal for his design idea, which was modeled after an Anglo-Irish villa in Dublin called the Leinster House, and he was officially hired to manage the construction of the presidential residence.
The cornerstone for the White House was laid on October 13, 1792. The walls were coated with lime-based whitewash (giving rise to its name) in 1798. The total cost of the house over the eight years of construction was $232,372, and it was still not quite finished when its first inhabitants, John and Abigail Adams, moved in on November 1, 1800.
Thomas Jefferson, the newly elected president, moved in a few months later and was the first to hold an inaugural open house in 1805. The relative peace of the house was short-lived, however, as it was nearly burned to the ground by the British in August 1814 during the War of 1812. Reconstruction began when President James Madison had Hoban return to restore the building to its original design. Luckily, some original walls were able to be saved.
The North and South porticoes were added in 1824 and 1829, while Theodore Roosevelt, in order to make space for his six children, added the West Wing. This allowed the president's cabinet room and office to be moved to the new wing, leaving the entire second floor to the first family. William Taft expanded the executive wing in 1909. After another fire in the executive wing in 1929, more renovations were ordered by Franklin Roosevelt.
A third floor was added in 1927, along with the East Wing in 1934, which housed a movie theater, bomb shelter, and offices on all three stories. A new concrete foundation for the house was put into place during the Truman presidency in 1945, due to structural problems with the steel beams placed in 1902. Harry Truman also initiated a complete gutting of the interior of the house, taking residence in the Blair House across Pennsylvania Avenue for several years during construction. After its completion in 1952, Americans were given a televised tour of the renovations.
In 1969-1970, a circular drive was added to the West Wing, along with a press room. Additionally, up to 40 layers of paint were removed from some of the exterior in 1978 to repair disintegrating stone. The Carter administration installed the first printer and computer, while George H.W. Bush ushered in the Internet in 1992.
