What are the measurements of the White House?
- The White House is an iconic center of power that has hosted presidents, their guests, staff, and tourists for two centuries.
- A few major renovations have expanded and fortified the mansion, but it hasn't received a major overhaul since the 1940s.
- As a modern landmark, the White House is surprisingly small. ...
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What is the square footage of the White House?
The White House is basically a mega-mansion, with six floors providing 55,000 square feet. Yet only the President and his family live there; why? The Executive Residence on the second floor, shown below, is essentially a massive 9,000-square-foot apartment; they can't carve out a couple of rooms for the Veep
How big is the White House in sq ft?
The White House measures at 55,000-square feet, 70-feet high, 170-feet wide, and 85-feet deep. It is situated on 18 acres. 3. The White House has a total of six floors: two basements, two public floors, and two floors specifically for the First Family.
How big is the kitchen in the White House?
White House Kitchen The kitchen and pantry together are about 22 feet by 27 1/2 feet. The ground floor's vaulted Central Hall once accessed a great kitchen 40 feet long with large fireplaces at each end, a family kitchen, an oval servants hall, the steward's quarters, storage and work rooms, and the servants' bedrooms.
How big is the entire White House?
55,000 sq ftWhite HouseFloor area55,000 sq ft (5,100 m2)Design and constructionArchitectJames HobanWebsite20 more rows
How big is the White House without the wings?
The Ground Floor, State Floor, and residence floors of the White House are approximately 55,000 square feet. This number does not include the West or East Wings.
Where does the President sleep?
the White HouseThe President's Bedroom is a second floor bedroom in the White House. The bedroom makes up the White House master suite along with the adjacent sitting room and the smaller dressing room, all located in the southwest corner.
How many sq ft is the White House?
54,900 ft²The White House / Floor space
How many rooms does the White House have?
The Chief Usher coordinates day to day household operations. The White House includes six stories and 55,000 square feet (5,100 m 2) of floor space, 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, twenty-eight fireplaces, eight staircases, three elevators, five full-time chefs, a tennis court, a (single-lane) bowling alley, a movie theater (officially called the White House Family Theater ), a jogging track, a swimming pool, and a putting green. It receives up to 30,000 visitors each week.
Where is the White House?
It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and 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 residence was designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban in the neoclassical style.
What is the White House inspired by?
The building has classical inspiration sources, that can be found in the styles of the Roman architect Vitruvius and the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio; Palladio being an Italian architect of the Renaissance whose style evolved into Palladian architecture, which became popular in North American in the 18th century. Hoban's design is influenced by the upper floors of Leinster House, in Dublin, which later became the seat of the Oireachtas (the Irish parliament). Several other Georgian-era Irish country houses have been suggested as sources of inspiration for the overall floor plan, details like the bow-fronted south front, and interior details like the former niches in the present Blue Room. These influences, though undocumented, are cited in the official White House guide, and in White House Historical Association publications. The first official White House guide, published in 1962, suggested a link between Hoban's design for the South Portico and Château de Rastignac, a neoclassical country house located in La Bachellerie in the Dordogne region of France and designed by Mathurin Salat. Construction on the French house was initially started before 1789, interrupted by the French Revolution for twenty years and then finally built 1812–1817 (based on Salat's pre-1789 design). The theoretical link between the two houses has been criticized because Hoban did not visit France. Supporters of a connection posit that Thomas Jefferson, during his tour of Bordeaux in 1789, viewed Salat's architectural drawings (which were on-file at the college) at the École Spéciale d'Architecture (Bordeaux Architectural College). On his return to the US he then shared the influence with Washington, Hoban, Monroe, and Benjamin Henry Latrobe.
What is the oldest tree in the White House?
Among the oldest trees on the grounds are several magnolias ( Magnolia grandiflora) planted by Andrew Jackson, including the Jackson Magnolia, reportedly grown from a sprout taken from the favorite tree of Jackson's recently deceased wife, the sprout planted after Jackson moved into the White House.
What was the White House's main concern during the Civil War?
The location of the White House was questioned, just north of a canal and swampy lands, which provided conditions ripe for malaria and other unhealthy conditions. Brigadier General Nathaniel Michler was tasked to propose solutions to address these concerns. He proposed abandoning the use of the White House as a residence and designed a new estate for the first family at Meridian Hill in Washington, D.C., but Congress rejected the plan. Another site under consideration was Metropolis View, today the campus of The Catholic University of America.
How much did it cost to build the White House?
The initial construction took place over a period of eight years, at a reported cost of $232,371.83 (equivalent to $3,543,000 in 2020). Although not yet completed, the White House was ready for occupancy circa November 1, 1800.
Why was the White House burned?
In 1814, during the War of 1812, the White House was set ablaze by British troops during the Burning of Washington, in retaliation for attacking and burning Toronto (then called York), Port Dover and other towns in Upper Canada; much of Washington was affected by these fires as well.
What is the White House?
From the Ground Floor Corridor rooms, transformed from their early use as service areas, to the State Floor rooms, where countless leaders and dignitaries have been entertained, the White House is both the home of the President of the United States and his or her family, and a living museum of American history.
How many rooms are there in the White House?
The White House remains a place where history continues to unfold. There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators. The White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres to more than 1,000.
What was the White House's weakness?
Less than fifty years after the Roosevelt renovation, the White House was already showing signs of serious structural weakness. President Harry S. Truman began a renovation of the building in which everything but the outer walls was dismantled.
How many people can a White House kitchen serve?
The White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres to more than 1,000 . The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface. At various times in history, the White House has been known as the “President’s Palace,” the “President’s House,” and the “Executive Mansion.”.
Who designed the White House?
The following year, the cornerstone was laid and a design submitted by Irish-born architect James Hoban was chosen. After eight years of construction, President John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the still-unfinished residence.
When did the White House get remodeled?
In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt began a major renovation of the White House, including the relocation of the President’s offices from the Second Floor of the Residence to the newly constructed temporary Executive Office Building (now known as the West Wing). The Roosevelt renovation was planned and carried out by the famous New York ...
How many square feet is the White House?
The mansion itself covers 55,000 square feet. The White House is an iconic center of power that has hosted presidents, their guests, staff, and tourists for two centuries. A few major renovations have expanded and fortified the mansion, but it hasn't received a major overhaul since the 1940s. As a modern landmark, the White House is surprisingly ...
What is the White House?
The White House has been a symbol of the US president's executive authority since John Adams and first lady Abigail moved in 218 years ago. The mansion's iconic porticos, halls, and rooms have witnessed several administrations and countless guests, including tourists, celebrities, and heads of state.
What is the Lincoln bedroom named for?
The Lincoln Bedroom, named for the former president who used the room as an office and is rumored to still haunt the space, serves as a guest room. Shown here is the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House which is decorated in yellow. Bettmann/Getty Images. Source: White House Historical Association , Business Insider.
How many floors does the West Wing have?
Former diplomat Chase Untermeyer, who worked in the White House for four and a half years, said the West Wing in particular "is a very small place.". "It's got three floors, but the footprint it occupies isn't very much bigger than a house in a prosperous suburb," he said in 2015.
When was the snowball in the White House?
The Lower Cross Hall is decorated with "snowball" arches created from more than 6,000 ornaments and snowmen lining the corridor in the White House during a preview of the 2016 holiday decor, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in Washington.
Is the White House bigger than the US?
The White House is considerably larger in reputation than physical space when compared to other major landmarks across the US. A magnolia tree blossoms on the South Lawn. Jason Reed/Reuters. Source: White House Historical Association, Architectural Digest.
What is the White House?
The White House and its surrounding grounds serve as the home of the President of the United States and First Family. It’s also a museum of American history—and a place where that history continues to unfold every day.
Who has occupied the White House?
The White House has been occupied by every president since John Adams, and the history of this building extends far beyond the construction of its walls.
Where is the Eisenhower Executive Office located?
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is located next to the West Wing and houses the majority of offices for White House staff. The Vice President’s Residence & Office is located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO)—the white 19th century house at Number One Observatory Circle.
How big is the White House compared to the Buckingham Palace?
Click to see full answer. Similarly, it is asked, is White House bigger than Buckingham Palace? If you count every square inch of the White House it is 55,000 square feet. Buckingham Palace is 829,000 square feet.
How much is the Buckingham Palace worth?
Buckingham Palace, UK – $5.04 billion (£3.84bn) If you factor in $2.15 billion (£1.64bn) for the artworks, antique furniture, luxury amenities, and so on, the palace is likely to be worth around $5.04 billion (£3.84bn).
How many rooms are there in the White House?
The White House today holds 142 rooms on six floors, the floor space totaling approximately 55,000 square feet. It has hosted longstanding traditions such as the annual Easter Egg Roll, as well as historic events like the 1987 nuclear arms treaty with Russia.
Who was the president of the White House?
The building underwent major structural changes in the early 1900s under Teddy Roosevelt, who also officially established the “White House” moniker, and again under Harry Truman after WWII.
When was the President's House rebuilt?
Rebuilt after a British attack in 1814 , the “President’s House” evolved with the personal touches of its residents, and accommodated such technological changes as the installation of electricity.
Who built the Oval Office?
William Taft hired architect Nathan Wyeth to expand the executive wing in 1909, resulting in the formation of the Oval Office as the president’s work space. In 1913, the White House added another enduring feature with Ellen Wilson’s Rose Garden.
Is the White House open to the public?
The only private residence of a head of state open free of charge to the public, the White House reflects a nation’s history through the accumulated collections of its residing presidents, and serves as a worldwide symbol of the American republic.
Overview
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and 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 his advisers.
Early history
Following his April 1789 inauguration, President George Washington occupied two private houses in New York City as the executive mansion. He lived at the first, known as the Franklin House and owned by Treasury Commissioner Samuel Osgood, at 3 Cherry Street, through late February 1790. The executive mansion moved to the larger quarters of the Alexander Macomb House at 39–41 Broad…
Evolution of the White House
On Saturday, November 1, 1800, John Adams became the first president to take residence in the building. The next day he wrote his wife Abigail: "I pray Heaven to 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." President Franklin D. Roosevelt had Adams's blessing carved into the mantel in the State …
The White House since the Kennedy restoration
Congress enacted legislation in September 1961 declaring the White House a museum. Furniture, fixtures, and decorative arts could now be declared either historic or of artistic interest by the president. This prevented them from being sold (as many objects in the executive mansion had been in the past 150 years). When not in use or display at the White House, these items were to be turned o…
Public access and security
Like the English and Irish country houses it was modeled on, the White House was, from the start, open to the public until the early part of the 20th century. President Thomas Jefferson held an open house for his second inaugural in 1805, and many of the people at his swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol followed him home, where he greeted them in the Blue Room. Those open houses some…
See also
• Art in the White House
• Camp David
• Pedro Casanave
• Germantown White House
• Graphics and Calligraphy Office
Further reading
• Abbott, James A. A Frenchman in Camelot: The Decoration of the Kennedy White House by Stéphane Boudin. Boscobel Restoration Inc.: 1995. ISBN 978-0-9646659-0-3.
• Abbott, James A. Jansen. Acanthus Press: 2006. ISBN 978-0-926494-33-6.
• Clinton, Hillary Rodham. An Invitation to the White House: At Home with History. Simon & Schuster: 2000. ISBN 978-0-684-85799-2.
External links
• Official website
• The White House Historical Association, with historical photos, online tours and exhibits, timelines, and facts
• President's Park (White House) part of the National Park Service
• The White House Museum, a detailed online tour