It being the month we celebrate Presidents Day, I thought a tour of the President's House would be in order.
A competition held for the design of the new President's House received nine entries. James Hoban, an architect of Irish descent, won. His neo-classical design is based on the Leinster House in Dublin, the building that houses the national parliament of Ireland.Construction started in 1792. In 1798, after receiving a protective lime-based whitewash, the President’s House took on its distinctive color. In 1800, President
In 1814, British troops invaded Washington and torched several buildings, among them the Capitol, the Treasury, the War Department and the President’s House. President James Madison decided that the public buildings would be rebuilt, with Irish architect, James Hoban, taking on the responsibility for the President’s House, almost a total rebuild since only the outer walls were still standing after the fire. Hoban stuck with the original plans for the renovation.
For the first 100 years this home of the President was called in addition to the “President's House”, the “President's Palace” or “Executive Mansion”. The nickname “White House” caught on late in the 19th Century with President Theodore Roosevelt making it the official name when he took office in 1901.
Modified and extended numerous times, the White House is now a complex of office, reception and residential space. The East and West Wings serve as the most important additions, providing the President (West) and First Lady (East) offices away from the residence. The
The White House has 132 rooms, with a few available to visitors on tours. Since Sept. 11, 2001, any tour needs to be arranged through Congress. Some of the rooms open for tours include the Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room and State Dining Room.
Over the years many of the presidents and first ladies have redesigned the garden. Ellen Wilson, wife of President Woodrow Wilson added the most famous section in 1913…the Rose Garden, just outside the Oval Office. John F. Kennedy later redesigned it and used it as a venue for official ceremonies. In 2009, Michelle Obama planted an organic garden just off the South Lawn.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, an avid golfer, installed a putting green in 1957 and it’s been enjoyed by avid “first golfers” since.
The White House is the center of power in Washington. When cats have roamed these halls they knew who was really in charge. Look below at the names of the cats that have graced this mansion and the Presidents they exercised their power over:
Tabby – The first White House cat – Abraham Lincoln
Siam – The first Siamese to reach the United States – Rutherford B. Hayes
Slippers and Tom Quartz – Theodore Roosevelt
Smokey, Blackie, Timmy & Tiger – Calvin Coolidge (He carried Tiger around his neck.)
Tom Kitten – The press gave him an obituary notice in 1962 – John F. Kennedy
Shan – Gerald Ford
Misty Malarky Ying Yang – A Siamese – Jimmy Carter
Cleo & Sara – Tortoiseshell strays (also several unnamed cats) – Ronald Reagan
Socks – a black and white “Tuxedo”, unceremoniously removed when Buddy, the dog, moved in – Bill Clinton
Ernie & India "Willie" Bush – George W. Bush