The White House: A Visual History

Both home and office to the president and the first family, it remains at its core the “People’s House.”

Written by

Tracy GrantAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is one of the most famous addresses in the world. The site was chosen by George Washington, but he never lived in the residence that would become known as the White House. (What president officially gave it that name? Read to the bottom to find out.) The first official residents were John and Abigail Adams, who lived in the “President’s House” for only a few months in 1800 and 1801. They had decidedly different takes on the place, with John Adams writing to Abigail on his second night in the house:

I Pray Heaven Bestow the Best of Blessings on This House and All that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under this Roof.

For her part, Abigail Adams apparently would have preferred a house that was more “move-in ready,” describing in dismay what she found:

There is not a single apartment finished. We have not the least fence, yard, or other convenience outside. I use the great unfinished audience room [East Room] as a drying room for hanging up the clothes.

Regardless, no first family has ever “owned” the White House, instead serving as residents and guardians of what is commonly known as the “People’s House.” Come explore the building and its rich history.

The White House sits at the intersection of how John and Abigail Adams saw it: As he observed, it was a place where historic decisions would be made, but as she noted it was also a home, where guests would be welcomed, meals served, Christmas trees decorated, and loved ones mourned.

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The Oval Office

One of the things that makes the White House unique is the way in which it serves as both official residence and workplace for the president (a pioneer in the concept of “work from home”). If the White House is one of the most famous houses in the world, the Oval Office is certainly one of the most famous offices. But in the early days, presidents struggled to find a good place to conduct the affairs of state:

Thomas Jefferson worked from what is now the State Dining Room.
Abraham Lincoln worked from what is now called the Lincoln Bedroom, positioning his desk to overlook the still-under-construction Washington Monument.

It was Theodore Roosevelt who decided that the president really needed a dedicated workspace, but it wasn’t until more than 30 years later when Franklin Roosevelt was president that the Oval Office as we think of it today was conceived.

At the heart of the Oval Office is the president’s desk. Since 1880, every president except Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford has used the Resolute Desk, a surprise gift from Queen Victoria to Pres. Rutherford B. Hayes and intended as a sign of the enduring friendship between the United States and Great Britain. It has been at the center of moments of historic document signings and bedtime games of hide-and-seek.

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The Rose Garden

When Abigail Adams moved in, she complained about the lack of a yard. It wasn’t until the 20th century and first lady Edith Roosevelt that some attention was paid to planting a garden, and it was a decade later that Ellen Wilson planted the first roses there and it got its name. During the administration of Franklin Roosevelt, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. (his dad was the genius behind Central Park), was called in to design the gardens. His plans ensured that the garden would always be in bloom. Over the years the garden has been home to the signing of major legislation, presidential press conferences, and even a wedding.

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You made it to the bottom, so here’s your reward: On October 17, 1901, Pres. Theodore Roosevelt ordered that any official papers and documents requiring his signature be changed from “Executive Mansion” to “White House.” But don’t stop now; there’s still more to discover.

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