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The beginning of the white house
The residence was designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban. -
The construction
Construction took place between 1792 and 1800 using white painted Aquia Creek sandstone. The main residence, as well as foundations of the house, were built largely by enslaved and free African-American laborers, as well as employed Europeans. -
The destruction of the white house
British attack in 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze by the British Army in the Burning of Washington. Much of Washington was affected by these fires as well, only the exterior walls remained. -
The reconstruction after the fire
After the fire, both architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe and Hoban contributed to the design and oversight of the reconstruction, which lasted from 1815 until 1817. -
The time that the reconstruction finished
The south portico was constructed in 1824 during the James Monroe administration; the north portico was built six years later. At the same time, John Quincy Adams established the residence’s first flower garden -
Truman reconstruction
By 1948, the house's load-bearing exterior walls and internal wood beams were found to be close to failure. Under Harry S. Truman, the interior rooms were completely dismantled and a new internal load-bearing steel frame constructed inside the walls. Once this work was completed, the interior rooms were rebuilt. -
First computer and network in the white house
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. -
The white house today
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. The White House reflects a nation’s history through the accumulated collections of its residing presidents, and serves as a worldwide symbol of the American republic.
