A Brief History of White House Construction

References & Edit History

Images

Aerial view of the White House with large construction site to the right, tents on the lawn, and a blue reflecting pool in the foreground, surrounded by trees and roads.

Historic architectural drawing by James Hoban from 1792 showing the front elevation of the White House, with symmetrical windows and a central columned entrance.

The burning of Washington, D.C.

Black-and-white photo of the White House West Wing under construction in 1934, with steel framework exposed and workers on site, trees in the foreground, and the White House in the background.

Black-and-white photo showing the gutted interior of the White House during 1950 renovation, with exposed beams, debris, and partially demolished walls and stairs.

Aerial view of the White House grounds with labeled areas including the West Wing, East Wing, Oval Office, Rose Garden, Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, North Lawn, South Lawn, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Treasury Department.

Interactive diagram of the White House floor plan with labeled sections: West Wing, Executive Residence, and East Wing. Text invites users to select a section to learn more.

Partially demolished facade of the East Wing of the White House with exposed beams, rubble, and construction equipment visible behind a security fence.

Workers and construction equipment assemble the U.S. Presidential Shield on a new helipad in front of the White House, with a large American flag and trees nearby.

Presidential pool

A Brief History of White House Construction: Media

Like the country it represents, the building has changed over time.

Images

Aerial view of the White House with large construction site to the right, tents on the lawn, and a blue reflecting pool in the foreground, surrounded by trees and roads.

Construction zone

Construction on the proposed White House ballroom shown from the Washington Monument...

© Graeme Sloan/Getty Images

Historic architectural drawing by James Hoban from 1792 showing the front elevation of the White House, with symmetrical windows and a central columned entrance.

The first vision

Architect James Hoban's sketch from 1792 won him the commission to design the president's...

Courtesy of the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore

The burning of Washington, D.C.

The burning of Washington, D.C.

British troops set fire to the Capitol and the White House in 1814. The damage caused...

North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy

Black-and-white photo of the White House West Wing under construction in 1934, with steel framework exposed and workers on site, trees in the foreground, and the White House in the background.

The making of the West Wing

First started as a temporary structure by Theodore Roosevelt, the West Wing with...

© Everett Collection/Shutterstock.com

Black-and-white photo showing the gutted interior of the White House during 1950 renovation, with exposed beams, debris, and partially demolished walls and stairs.

A gutted White House

The interior of the White House, seen in 1950, shows the massive structural renovations...

Abbie Rowe—National Park Service/National Archives, Washington, D.C (348447243)

Aerial view of the White House grounds with labeled areas including the West Wing, East Wing, Oval Office, Rose Garden, Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, North Lawn, South Lawn, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Treasury Department.

Aerial view of the White House complex

The White House is composed of the main building, with ceremonial rooms and residence...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., Image credit: Google Inc./Vexcel Imaging US, Inc.

Partially demolished facade of the East Wing of the White House with exposed beams, rubble, and construction equipment visible behind a security fence.

Under construction

Construction equipment demolishes part of the East Wing of the White House in October...

© Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Workers and construction equipment assemble the U.S. Presidential Shield on a new helipad in front of the White House, with a large American flag and trees nearby.

Building a helipad

This photo, taken from the Washington Monument, shows work being done on the South...

© Finn Gomez/Getty Images

Presidential pool

Presidential pool

Gerald Ford looks over the construction of a swimming pool on the White House South...

National Archives, Washington, D.C. (12082683)

Interactives

Interactive diagram of the White House floor plan with labeled sections: West Wing, Executive Residence, and East Wing. Text invites users to select a section to learn more.

Interactive White House floor plan with clickable West Wing, Executive Residence, and East Wing sections

This interactive graphic displays a floor plan of the White House, divided into three...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.