5Ws of... The White House

 

What: The White House – the building that most symbolizes America – has had several names throughout its history, including “The President’s Palace,” “The President’s House” and “The Executive Mansion.”  President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.

Who: President George Washington signed an Act of Congress specifying the location and size of the nation’s capitol; Washington and Pierre L’Enfent, the city planner, chose the site for “The President’s House” (now 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue); and the design was created by Irish-born architect James Hoban.

Where:  The official address of the White House is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.  However, there have been several “other” White Houses, from the well-known “Weekend White House” (Camp David, in Maryland) to the lesser known “Woodley,” a Federal-style hilltop house in Woodley Park, Washington, DC.

When:  The design for the White House was selected in 1790 and construction began when the cornerstone was laid in October, 1792.  Eight years later, in 1800, the first residents of the White House, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in.

Why: Charles Collingwood : “Now why is this room called the Blue Room?” First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy: ”Because it’s blue.” – From “A Tour of the White House with Mrs. John F. Kennedy,” CBS-TV, February 14, 1962. (Note: Three out of four television viewers tuned in for insights such as this when the program was broadcast, and Mrs. Kennedy received an Honorary Emmy ™ for her work.) 

 Images from top: The White House; Library of Congress; AboutCampDavid.blogspot.com; InfoPlease.com; The Washington Post; arikhanson.com.