WhiteHouseHistory

　　Formorethan200years,theWhiteHousehasbeenmorethanjustthehomeofthePresidentsandtheirfamilies.Throughouttheworld,itisrecognizedasthesymbolofthePresident,ofthePresident'sadministration,andoftheUnitedStates.

　　AbouttheBuilding

　　Fortwohundredyears,theWhiteHousehasstoodasasymbolofthePresidency,theUnitedStatesgovernment,andtheAmericanpeople.Itshistory,andthehistoryofthenation'scapital,beganwhenPresidentGeorgeWashingtonsignedanActofCongressinDecemberof1790declaringthatthefederalgovernmentwouldresideinadistrict"notexceedingtenmilessquare…ontheriverPotomac."PresidentWashington,togetherwithcityplannerPierreL’Enfant,chosethesiteforthenewresidence,whichisnow1600PennsylvaniaAvenue.Aspreparationsbeganforthenewfederalcity,acompetitionwasheldtofindabuilderofthe"President’sHouse."Nineproposalsweresubmitted,andIrish-bornarchitectJamesHobanwonagoldmedalforhispracticalandhandsomedesign.

　　ConstructionbeganwhenthefirstcornerstonewaslaidinOctoberof1792.AlthoughPresidentWashingtonoversawtheconstructionofthehouse,heneverlivedinit.Itwasnotuntil1800,whentheWhiteHousewasnearlycompleted,thatitsfirstresidents,PresidentJohnAdamsandhiswife,Abigail,movedin.Sincethattime,eachPresidenthasmadehisownchangesandadditions.TheWhiteHouseis,afterall,thePresident’sprivatehome.Itisalsotheonlyprivateresidenceofaheadofstatethatisopentothepublic,freeofcharge.

　　TheWhiteHousehasauniqueandfascinatinghistory.ItsurvivedafireatthehandsoftheBritishin1814(duringthewarof1812)andanotherfireintheWestWingin1929,whileHerbertHooverwasPresident.ThroughoutmuchofHarryS.Truman’spresidency,theinteriorofthehouse,withtheexceptionofthethirdfloor,wascompletelyguttedandrenovatedwhiletheTrumanslivedatBlairHouse,rightacrossPennsylvaniaAvenue.Nonetheless,theexteriorstonewallsarethosefirstputinplacewhentheWhiteHousewasconstructedtwocenturiesago.

　　Presidentscanexpresstheirindividualstyleinhowtheydecoratesomepartsofthehouseandinhowtheyreceivethepublicduringtheirstay.ThomasJeffersonheldthefirstInauguralopenhousein1805.Manyofthosewhoattendedtheswearing-inceremonyattheU.S.Capitolsimplyfollowedhimhome,wherehegreetedthemintheBlueRoom.PresidentJeffersonalsoopenedthehouseforpublictours,andithasremainedopen,exceptduringwartime,eversince.Inaddition,hewelcomedvisitorstoannualreceptionsonNewYear’sDayandontheFourthofJuly.In1829,ahordeof20,000InauguralcallersforcedPresidentAndrewJacksontofleetothesafetyofahotelwhile,onthelawn,aidesfilledwashtubswithorangejuiceandwhiskeytolurethemoboutofthemud-trackedWhiteHouse.

　　AfterAbrahamLincoln’spresidency,InauguralcrowdsbecamefartoolargefortheWhiteHousetoaccommodatethemcomfortably.However,notuntilGroverCleveland’sfirstpresidencydidthisunsafepracticechange.Heheldapresidentialreviewofthetroopsfromaflag-drapedgrandstandbuiltinfrontoftheWhiteHouse.ThisprocessionevolvedintotheofficialInauguralparadeweknowtoday.ReceptionsonNewYear’sDayandtheFourthofJulycontinuedtobehelduntiltheearly1930s.

　　Thereare132rooms,35bathrooms,a