Introduction
There can never be any contest to the argument that the White House is indeed the home of the most powerful man on our planet. However, it is much more than just the home for the American Presidents and their families. For more than 200 years, the White House has been the symbol of the President and the administration of the United States.
History
The construction of the building began in 1792 after the first president George W. Washington passed an act in Congress to shift the residence of the federal government to a place near the river Potomac. James Hoban was appointed as the chief architect for the project after a competition which saw eight other entries. Built in aquia sandstone in neoclassical style, it was completed for occupation in the 1800. The first resident of the White House thus became the then President John Adams and his wife Abigail Smith. The building was later expanded outwards by the third president of United States Thomas Jefferson in 1801. The building was burnt in 1814 during the war between America and the British troops in the Burning of Washington. The renovation of the White House was then carried out and was finished in 1817.
Features
The White House is divided into various wings and the East Wing principally serves as offices for the First Lady and her staff. The First Family resides on the second and third floor away from the public spotlight and has complete privacy and comfort. The West Wing serves as the President's office and those of his top staff. There are three famous state parlours in the complex too, known by the colour of the interiors: the Green Room, the Blue Room and the Red Room. The Green Room is used for small receptions and teas. The Blue Room is for receiving lines and occasional small dinners, and the Red Room was used as the music room by the President and his family.
The building earlier called the ‘President’s Palace’, the ‘President’s House’, and the ‘Executive Mansion’ was named the White House by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1901. 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. A fun fact, it would require 570 gallons of paint to varnish the outside surface of the White House.
Tips and comments
The White House was modelled on the English and Irish country houses and was open to public, from the start, until the early part of 20th century. Organised tours for the public for visiting the White House have been taking place since the Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt administrations. Under such tours, the public could visit the ground floor hallways and the East Room, the largest room in the whole complex. A special permission from a United States Senator enabled visitors to see the Green, Blue and the Red rooms together with the State Dining room. Such tours were suspended after the 9/11 attacks and were resumed in 2003 and the participants have to go through a rigorous background checks.
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