The
White House circa 1862
In
America's short but tenuous history,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania had always been the capital.
In 1790, however, George Washington made the decision
to move the capital to a brand new area called the
District of Columbia - a small, swampy area on the
Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia.
While
in District of Columbia, Washington and Pierre L'Enfant,
a city planner, helped find a location that would
house the president of the United States. After
a suitable location was found, a competition was
held to build the house. Irish architect James Hoban
won the contract to design and build the house.
He designed the house after a model in the Book
of Architecture called the Gibbs House. The house
was completed in 1800. John Adams, not George Washington,
became the first president to live in it. It was
located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Despite the
many changes that the house has been through in
the past 200 years, its location has remained the
same.
In
1814, as part of the War of 1812, the British occupied
Washington and burned the house to the ground. Two
years later James Hoban successfully restored it
to its original form and added a south portico.
The house was known as the Executive Mansion or
President's Palace for much of the 1800's. In 1901,
Teddy Roosevelt renamed it "The White House".
The White House's next renovation occurred in 1902
when the executive office wing and gallery were
added. In 1929, it was severely damaged in a fire
for the second time and renovated. Today, the White
House remains one of the top tourist destinations
in Washington. It even has its own bowling alley
and movie theater.
