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Must-see

The White House

The house where every U.S. president since the second has lived

Local name: The White House

Collection: Washington, D.C. · USA · Open in OpenStreetMap

The North Portico of the White House
The North Portico of the White House · Harrison Keely, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The story

Before you is the White House, the home and workplace of the president of the United States. You are looking at the north front with its columned portico, from Pennsylvania Avenue. In 1792 a design competition was held, and the winner was the Irish-born architect James Hoban. His model was Leinster House in Dublin. The cornerstone was laid on the thirteenth of October 1792. The walls are built of sandstone from Aquia Creek and were then whitewashed. The first resident was the second president, John Adams, in 1800. Every president since has lived here. In August 1814, during the war with Britain, British troops burned the house. It was rebuilt, and in 1817 President Monroe moved in. For a long time “the White House” was only a popular name. Theodore Roosevelt made it official in 1901. By 1948 the house was so worn out that it was in danger of collapse. President Truman moved across the street to Blair House. From 1949 to 1952 the house was rebuilt inside, keeping the old walls. The residence has one hundred thirty-two rooms. The South Portico, with its curved colonnade, was added in 1824, the North Portico a few years later. In October 2025 the old East Wing was torn down. A new one with a ballroom is being built in its place.

Visiting

You can see the north front from the pedestrian stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue opposite Lafayette Square, and the south front from the Ellipse. Tours inside are free, usually Tuesday through Saturday. Requests must be made at least 21 days and no more than three months ahead: U.S. citizens through their member of Congress, foreign visitors through their country’s embassy in Washington. Foreign visitors need a passport. The schedule can change at the last minute; for information, call the 24-hour line at +1 202-456-7041.

Photos

The White House from Lafayette Square
The White House from Lafayette Square · Jason Lewis, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The North Portico in the first half of the 20th century
The North Portico in the first half of the 20th century · Harris & Ewing Collection, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Sources

This text was written by AI from open sources. An expert will still check it. Found a mistake? Write to us. Support

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