The White House, one of the most iconic buildings worldwide, has served as the official residence and workplace of the US President for more than 200 years. President-elect Donald Trump will be moving into the White House with his family in January next year. The 78-year-old defeated Democrat Kamala Harris in the November 5 elections.
A question that keeps doing rounds is why this famous building has been termed as “The White House”? While many believe that it must be due to its white colour, this does not fully explain the logic.
War of 1812
There is a misconception that the building was painted white for the first time to cover the marks left by British soldiers, who had burned it down on August 24, 1814, two years after the war broke out.
The often-told story suggests that the building was painted white to hide these marks. Though it looks like an interesting story, it is not true.
The colour of the White House has been white since the very beginning when the first US President George Washington selected the location for the White House in 1791. The cornerstone was laid the following year with its design being given by Irish-born architect James Hoban. After eight years of construction, President John Adams and his wife Abigail became the first to move in — though it was still unfinished at that time.
According to the White House Historical Association, the building received a lime-based whitewash in 1798 to protect its “sandstone exterior from moisture and cracking during winter freezes.”
Official name
While there was no official name for the building in the beginning, the term “White House” was occasionally used by many throughout the nineteenth century, besides other names like “President’s House” and the “Executive Mansion.”
This term became official on October 17, 1901, when then US President Theodore Roosevelt’s secretary George Cortelyou sent a letter to Secretary of State John Hay.
On Roosevelt’s direction, the official was asked to change headings or date lines of all official papers and documents requiring the president’s signature, from ‘Executive Mansion’ to ‘White House’.
Since then, the ‘White House’ has been the official name of the US President’s residence, which after multiple expansions now has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms as well as six levels.
