1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
When President John Adams moved into the White House (called the President’s House then) on November 1, 1800, it was cold and drafty, and some of the rooms and stairs were not finished. Yet, beginning with Adams, 43 presidents have lived and worked in the White House, which was designed by Irish-born James Hoban. Today, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C., has become a pretty famous address!
As an important symbol of American leadership, the White House has been the setting for many historical events. Presidents have made official announcements, greeted foreign guests, celebrated special occasions, and acknowledged national disasters. It survived two fires, one in 1814 and one in 1929, and almost the entire interior being gutted and rebuilt in the 1950s.
Over time, sections such as the West Wing and the East Wing were constructed on either side of the original house to accommodate the growing number of presidential and first lady staff members. Nearby, the Old Executive Office Building also provides offices for the president’s executive staff, such as members of his Cabinet and the vice president. Presidents have used the Oval Office of the West Wing to work and hold meetings, as well as greet dignitaries and sign important documents. Sometimes the Rose Garden and the South Lawn—located outside the Oval Office—also are used as the sites for important announcements.
In addition to being a place where the president works, the White House serves two other functions. Parts of the house, mainly the upper floors, are kept private for the personal use of the president and his family. It is their residence for as long as the president is in office, and most families have made at least some changes to create a comfortable home while they reside there.
At the same time, the house is considered a museum and a site that belongs to all the citizens of the United States. And like the U.S. Capitol, it is filled with pieces of American art and American history. So, the first floor state rooms are carefully maintained and open to the public. Today, more than one million people visit the White House each year.
Tours begin in the East Wing on the ground floor’s East Colonnade. Off the east corridor, are the China Room and Library. Upstairs, on the main floor, visitors are led through the hall to the grand East Room, which is used for large ceremonial gatherings. Several smaller reception rooms—the Green Room, Blue Room, and Red Room—follow. Lastly, there is the State Dining Room where formal meals are served for as few as 60 or as many as 140 guests.
In its role as an office, home, and museum, the White House has become a unique symbol of American government—and the only home of a world leader that is open to the public for tours. There’s no doubt history will continue to unfold at this famous address.