White House

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Aerial view of the White House

The First Presidential Mansion

New York Second Presidential Mansion

PhiladelphiaPresidentsHouse

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The Government House, New York 1650665

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House intended for the President Birch's Views Plate 13 (cropped)

The White House is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. The term "White House" is often used as a metonym for the president and their advisers.

The building was designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban in the Neoclassical style. Hoban modeled the White House after the Leinster House in Dublin, a building which today houses the Oireachtas, the Irish legislature. Construction took place between 1792 and 1800 using Aquia Creek sandstone painted white. When Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, he (with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe) expanded the structure into a residence of the current size by adding low colonnades on each wing that concealed stables and storage. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the White House was set ablaze by the British Army in the Burning of Washington, in retaliation for burning Upper Canada's Parliament Buildings in the Battle of York. Reconstruction began almost immediately, and President James Monroe moved into the partially reconstructed Executive Residence in October 1817. Exterior construction continued with the addition of the South Portico in 1824 and the North in 1829.

Throughout much of the 19th century, room was made for increasingly larger numbers of staff, and the White House became overcrowded. The West Wing was added to the White House in 1901, during the presidency of William McKinley, and the Oval Office was created in 1909 during the presidency of William Howard Taft. The East Wing, which contains additional office space, was added to the White House in 1942. Among its uses, the East Wing has intermittently housed the offices and staff of the First Lady, and the White House Social Office. Technological improvements were made during the 1950s, including the addition of air conditioning.

The White House Complex is protected by the United States Secret Service and the Park Police. The property is a part of the National Park System and is designated as the White House National Historic Site.

The White House is made up of six stories—the Ground Floor, State Floor, Second Floor, and Third Floor, as well as a two-story basement. The property includes the Executive Residence, West Wing, East Wing, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building—which houses many staff offices—and Blair House, a guest residence. The Executive Residence houses the president's dwelling, as well as rooms for ceremonies and official entertaining. The West Wing houses the President's office (the Oval Office) and offices of his senior staff, with room for about 50 employees. It also includes the Cabinet Room, where the president conducts business meetings and the White House Situation Room, where world crises are managed.

The White House has been the site of many historical events and has undergone significant changes and renovations over the years. It stands as a symbol of the U.S. presidency and the American people.