
Where was the first light house ever built?
8 Oldest Lighthouse in the World
- Pharos of Alexandria. The Pharos of Alexandria, commonly called the Lighthouse of Alexandria, is the often considered the oldest lighthouse in the world.
- Tower of Hercules. Although there were other ancient lighthouses, the Tower of Hercules is the oldest surviving lighthouse in the world.
- Lighthouse of Genoa. ...
- Hook Lighthouse. ...
- Kõpu Lighthouse. ...
What was the White House originally called?
White House, formerly Executive Mansion (1810–1901), the official office and residence of the president of the United States at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. in Washington, D.C. It is perhaps the most famous and easily recognizable house in the world, serving as both the home and workplace of the president and the headquarters of the president’s principal staff members.
What are facts about the White House?
White House Facts. There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels to accommodate all the people who live in, work in, and visit the White House. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8staircases, and 3 elevators. The White House has six floors?two basements, two public floors, and two floors for the First Family.
Which Street is the White House located on?
White House, formerly Executive Mansion (1810–1901), the official office and residence of the president of the United States at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. in Washington, D.C. It is perhaps the most famous and easily recognizable house in the world, serving as both the home and workplace of the president and the headquarters of the president’s principal staff members.

When and where was the first White House built?
Empowered by the Residence Act of 1790, President George Washington chose the exact spot for the 10-square-mile capital, on the Potomac River's east bank and near the Capitol building. Builders laid the White House cornerstone on October 13, 1792, with the Capitol cornerstone following soon after on August 18, 1793.
Who was the 1st president to live in the White House?
President John AdamsAfter eight years of construction, President John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the still-unfinished residence.
Where was first president's house?
city of PhiladelphiaFrom 1790 to 1800, the city of Philadelphia was the new nation's capital and the President's House, home to Presidents George Washington and John Adams, served as America's first executive mansion. Presidents Washington and Adams both lived on this site during their terms.
When was the White House first built?
October 13, 1792The White House / Construction started
Which U.S. president never lived in the White House?
While President George Washington selected the site and approved the design, he never actually lived in the White House— he ended his service as chief executive in 1797 and died in 1799, one year before the seat of the federal government moved from Philadelphia to the city named in his honor.
Who was technically the first president?
In November 1781, John Hanson became the first President of the United States in Congress Assembled, under the Articles of Confederation.
Was the White House burned down twice?
The White House was set on fire twice since the founding of the United States in 1776. The first fire occurred during the War of 1812; James Madison was the elected president at the time. The second fire occurred in 1929; Herbert Hoover was in office then.
How many presidents did not live in the White House?
George Washington was the only president who did not live in the White House. He chose both the site and the architect of the White House, but the building was not completed by the end of his second term in 1797.
What color was the White House originally?
It Wasn't Always White The White House is made of gray-colored sandstone from a quarry in Aquia, Virginia. The north and south porticos are constructed with red Seneca sandstone from Maryland. The sandstone walls weren't painted white until the White House was reconstructed after the British fires.
Where does the President sleep?
The President's Bedroom is a second floor bedroom in the White House. The bedroom makes up the White House master suite along with the adjacent sitting room and the smaller dressing room, all located in the southwest corner.
Why is it called White House?
The White House has actually been white since the very beginning. In 1791, the first president George Washington, selected the site, and the design immediately called for a lime-based whitewash. This paint was selected, because it would protect the exterior stone from moisture and cracking during winter freezes.
Who built the first White House?
James HobanThe White House / ArchitectJames Hoban was an Irish-American architect, best known for designing the White House in Washington, D.C. Wikipedia
Did Abraham Lincoln stay in the White House?
For nearly a quarter of his presidency, Abraham Lincoln lived not in the White House, but rather three miles away — in a large, airy summer home on the 250-acre grounds of the Soldiers' Home in Northwest Washington, D.C.
Did Thomas Jefferson live in the White House?
Following his inauguration in March 1801, Jefferson became the second president to reside in the executive mansion. In keeping with his ardent republicanism, he opened the house to public visitation each morning, a tradition that was continued (during peacetime) by all his successors.
Where did the president live before the White House?
by Edward Lawler, Jr. A mansion at 6th & Market Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania served as the executive mansion for the first two Presidents of the United States, while the permanent national capital was under construction in the District of Columbia.
Who was the first left handed US President?
James A. Garfield President from March 4, 1881 – September 19, 1881, was ambidextrous; he was the only known left-handed President prior to the 20th century. Herbert Hoover President from March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933, was left-handed.
What is the White House?
The White House is the official office and residence of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. in Washi...
How much land does the White House and its grounds cover?
The White House and its landscaped grounds occupy 18 acres (7.2 hectares).
Does the president live in the White House?
The White House is both the home and workplace of the president of the United States, and it is the headquarters of the president’s principal staff...
Who was the first president to live in the White House?
The second president of the United States, John Adams, moved into the still-unfinished presidential mansion on November 1, 1800.
How many rooms are there in the White House?
The White House building complex has more than 130 rooms.
What is the architectural style of the White House?
The White House is a Georgian mansion in the Palladian style.
Where is the White House?
White House, formerly Executive Mansion (1810–1901), the official office and residence of the president of the United States at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. in Washington, D.C. It is perhaps the most famous and easily recognizable house in the world, serving as both the home and workplace of the president and the headquarters ...
Who designed the White House?
Drawing of the elevation of the White House by James Hoban, 1792; in the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore. The building’s history begins in 1792, when a public competition was held to choose a design for a presidential residence in the new capital city of Washington.
How many people attended Andrew Jackson's inauguration?
As Jackson rode on horseback down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, he was surrounded by a frenetic throng of 20,000 people, many of whom attempted to follow him into the mansion to get a better look at their hero. A contemporary, Margaret Bayer Smith, recounts what happened next: “The halls were filled with a disorderly rabble…scrambling for the refreshments designed for the drawing room.” While friends of the new president joined arms to protect him from the mob, “china and glass to the amount of several thousand dollars were broken in the struggle to get at the ices and cakes, though punch and other drinkables had been carried out in tubs and buckets to the people.” Said Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story, “I was glad to escape from the scene as soon as possible.” During his administration Jackson spent more than $50,000 refurbishing the residence, including $10,000 on decorations for the East Room and more than $4,000 on a sterling silver dinner and dessert set decorated with an American eagle.
What was the significance of the White House?
In keeping with his ardent republicanism, he opened the house to public visitation each morning, a tradition that was continued (during peacetime) by all his successors. He personally drew up landscaping plans and had two earthen mounds installed on the south lawn to remind him of his beloved Virginia Piedmont. Meanwhile, construction continued on the building’s interior, which still lacked ample staircases and suffered from a persistently leaky roof. During Jefferson’s tenure, the White House was elegantly furnished in Louis XVI style (known in America as Federal style ).
Why is the White House called the Executive Mansion?
Originally called the “President’s Palace” on early maps, the building was officially named the Executive Mansion in 1810 in order to avoid connotations of royalty.
What was the White House symbol of?
During the 19th century the White House became a symbol of American democracy. In the minds of most Americans, the building was not a “palace” from which the president ruled but merely a temporary office and residence from which he served the people he governed.
What style of building did Jefferson build?
Meanwhile, construction continued on the building’s interior, which still lacked ample staircases and suffered from a persistently leaky roof. During Jefferson’s tenure, the White House was elegantly furnished in Louis XVI style (known in America as Federal style ). White House plan.
Who designed the White House?
The following year, the cornerstone was laid and a design submitted by Irish-born architect James Hoban was chosen. After eight years of construction, President John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the still-unfinished residence.
How many rooms are there in the White House?
The White House remains a place where history continues to unfold. There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators. The White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres to more than 1,000.
What was the White House's weakness?
Less than fifty years after the Roosevelt renovation, the White House was already showing signs of serious structural weakness. President Harry S. Truman began a renovation of the building in which everything but the outer walls was dismantled.
How many people can a White House kitchen serve?
The White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres to more than 1,000 . The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface. At various times in history, the White House has been known as the “President’s Palace,” the “President’s House,” and the “Executive Mansion.”.
How many gallons of paint does the White House use?
The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.
When did the White House get remodeled?
In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt began a major renovation of the White House, including the relocation of the President’s offices from the Second Floor of the Residence to the newly constructed temporary Executive Office Building (now known as the West Wing). The Roosevelt renovation was planned and carried out by the famous New York ...
Who built the South Portico?
During the War of 1812, the British set fire to the President’s House, and James Hoban was appointed to rebuild it. James Monroe moved into the building in 1817, and during his administration, the South Portico was constructed.
Who was the president of the White House?
The building underwent major structural changes in the early 1900s under Teddy Roosevelt, who also officially established the “White House” moniker, and again under Harry Truman after WWII.
How many rooms are there in the White House?
The White House today holds 142 rooms on six floors, the floor space totaling approximately 55,000 square feet. It has hosted longstanding traditions such as the annual Easter Egg Roll, as well as historic events like the 1987 nuclear arms treaty with Russia.
When was the Aquia Creek house built?
The cornerstone was laid on October 13, 1792, and over the next eight years a construction team comprised of both enslaved and freed African Americans and European immigrants built the Aquia Creek sandstone structure. It was coated with lime-based whitewash in 1798, producing a color that gave rise to its famous nickname. Built at a cost of $232,372, the two-story house was not quite completed when John Adams and Abigail Adams became the first residents on November 1, 1800.
When did the West Wing get a new press briefing room?
Over the course of 1969-70, a porte-cochere and circular drive were added to the exterior of the West Wing, with a new press briefing room installed inside. Following a 1978 study to assess the exterior paint, up to 40 layers were removed in some areas, allowing for repairs of deteriorated stone. Meanwhile, the Carter administration set about adjusting to a new information age by installing the White House’s first computer and laser printer. The internet made its debut in the mansion under the watch of George H.W. Bush in 1992.
When was the President's House rebuilt?
Rebuilt after a British attack in 1814 , the “President’s House” evolved with the personal touches of its residents, and accommodated such technological changes as the installation of electricity.
Who built the West Wing?
Architect Eric Gugler more than doubled the space of what was becoming known as the “West Wing,” added a swimming pool in the west terrace for the polio-stricken president, and moved the Oval Office to the southeast corner. A new east wing was constructed in 1942, its cloakroom transformed into a movie theater.
Who built the Oval Office?
William Taft hired architect Nathan Wyeth to expand the executive wing in 1909, resulting in the formation of the Oval Office as the president’s work space. In 1913, the White House added another enduring feature with Ellen Wilson’s Rose Garden.
What is the White House?
The White House and its surrounding grounds serve as the home of the President of the United States and First Family. It’s also a museum of American history—and a place where that history continues to unfold every day.
Who has occupied the White House?
The White House has been occupied by every president since John Adams, and the history of this building extends far beyond the construction of its walls.
Where is the Eisenhower Executive Office located?
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is located next to the West Wing and houses the majority of offices for White House staff. The Vice President’s Residence & Office is located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO)—the white 19th century house at Number One Observatory Circle.
Where is the White House?
The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., in Washington, D .C., perhaps the nation's most famous address. Empowered by the Residence Act of 1790, President George Washington chose the exact spot for the 10-square-mile capital, on the Potomac River's east bank and near the Capitol building. Builders laid the White House cornerstone on October 13, 1792, with the Capitol cornerstone following soon after on August 18, 1793.
How Many Rooms Are in the White House?
At 55,000 square feet, the six-floor White House boasts 132 rooms (16 are family guest rooms), along with 35 bathrooms. According to the official White House web page, it’s home to 28 fireplaces, eight staircases, three elevators, 412 doors and 147 windows—and has a kitchen equipped to serve full dinner for up to 140 guests, or hors d'oeuvres for 1,000-plus visitors. And when it gets a new coat of paint every four to six years? It takes 570 gallons to cover the exterior.
What is the purpose of the Roosevelt Room?
The Cabinet Room, as its name implies, is where the president meets with members of his cabinet, and the Roosevelt Room, where Theodore Roosevelt's office was located, serves as a general-purpose conference room.
How many presidents have died in the White House?
Since then, every president and his family has lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Two presidents have also died in the White House: William Henry Harrison in 1841 and Zachary Taylor in 1850, as well as three first ladies, Letitia Tyler, Caroline Harrison and Ellen Wilson. pinterest-pin-it.
Why was the White House painted?
The stone exterior of the building was first painted with a lime-based whitewash in 1798 to protect it from the elements and freezing temperatures. According to the White House Historical Association, the "White House" moniker began to appear in newspapers before the War of 1812.
How many tunnels are there under the White House?
According to the newspaper, at least two tunnels exist under the mansion: One connects to the Treasury Building, and the other leads to the South Lawn. READ MORE: The Floating White House: A Brief History of the Presidential Yacht.
Where is the JFK conference room?
The Situation Room, known officially as the John F. Kennedy Conference Room, is located in the West Wing basement and actually comprises several rooms. Designated in 1961 by JFK as a space for crisis coordination, it was used by Johnson during the Vietnam War and is where President Barack Obama watched Osama Bin Laden's killing by Navy SEALs.
Who was the first president to occupy the White House?
Following a 16-month stay in New York City, George Washington occupied the President's House in Philadelphia from November 1790 to March 1797. John Adams occupied it from March 1797 to June 1800, then became the first President to occupy The White House. For nearly a decade, the Philadelphia mansion served as the seat of the executive branch ...
Where was the President's house in Philadelphia?
The President's House in Philadelphia: A Brief History. A mansion at 6th & Market Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania served as the executive mansion for the first two Presidents of the United States, while the permanent national capital was under construction in the District of Columbia. Following a 16-month stay in New York City, George ...
How long did the Penns live in the house?
The Penns lived in the house for only about three years. Relations between Great Britain and her American colonies were strained, and some sort of conflict seemed inevitable. The First Continental Congress met at Carpenters' Hall, and Richard Penn entertained many of the delegates at the house, including George Washington. Penn was asked to present the grievances of the colonists to King George III, and he traveled to London in 1775 to deliver the "Olive Branch Petition." The Penns and Mrs. Masters spent the Revolutionary War in England.
What was the President's House?
The President's House was where the business of the Executive Branch of the Federal Government was conducted . The public office, the equivalent of the West Wing, was a single room on the third floor. The house was also where the official entertaining of the new nation took place. Washington held public audiences or "levees" on Tuesday afternoons, and regular State dinners on Thursdays. Mrs. Washington had receptions or "drawingrooms" on Friday evenings, and there were open houses on New Year's Day and the Fourth of July. In addition to this heavy schedule of regular entertaining, there were smaller dinners during the week, and Washington often conducted business over breakfast.
What happened to Philadelphia in 1777?
In September 1777, Philadelphia was under siege. General Sir William Howe, commander-in-chief of British forces in America, sailed up the Chesapeake Bay, and marched his troops toward the city. Washington's soldiers tried to head them off at Brandywine Creek, but were repulsed. The British Army took possession of Philadelphia, and Washington's surprise attack at Germantown, north of the city, was unsuccessful. General Howe made the comfortable Masters-Penn House his residence and headquarters for the winter, while Washington and his troops suffered thirty miles away, at Valley Forge.
When did Adams move to Market Street?
Adams succeeded Washington as President, and, after declining to occupy the newly completed mansion on Ninth Street, he moved into the Market Street house in March 1797.
When did John Adams move to the White House?
John Adams spent most of his one term as President in Philadelphia. He moved to the White House on Saturday, November 1, 1800.
How was the White House selected?
How was the location of the White House selected? Located along the banks of the Potomac River, the site of the nation’s capital city was selected after much debate, through a compromise between southern and northern representatives during the late 1780s. The Residence Act of 1790 placed the site along the Potomac River, ...
Which act gave Washington the authority to select the location of the new capital city?
The Residence Act of 1790 placed the site along the Potomac River, and gave President George Washingtonthe authority to select the exact location of the new capital city. President Washington marked the spot for the future north walls and entrance of the White House. The chosen location and position for the White House symbolically linked ...
