When I saw the exterior of the White House for the first time as a kid during the Obama presidency, I was most definitely confused. The neoclassical, palladian-style mansion is dwarfed by the daunting size of the museums and office buildings that line the expansive National Mall. From a child’s perspective, the home seems too small for one of the most powerful leaders in the modern world. The palaces and castles that I read about throughout my childhood misled me into thinking that the White House was much larger than it truly presents itself to be; however, as I have passed by the building numerous times during the Trump and Biden administrations, I now see the home as a physical manifestation of the American ideology. Let’s peer into the extensive history and architectural choices behind one of the most famous residences in the world.
What should the home of a president look like? Pierre Charles L’Enfant, who designed the original plans for the city of Washington, D.C., envisioned a grand estate that would dominate over the typical American homes at the time. Although L’Enfant’s city plan remains today with DC’s grand avenues and parks reminiscent of European cities, President George Washington turned to another architect to design a more modest structure fit for a leader democratically elected to represent the American people. Irish immigrant and architect James Hoban’s design caught the attention of Washington after a competition was held for the building. Hoban’s design shares many similarities with Leinster House in Dublin, Ireland. This building was a palace during Hoban’s time, but it now serves as the location for the Irish parliament. When the White House was completed in 1800, the building was actually gray in color, for the iconic white paint utilized to this day was not added until 1814. The famed North and South porticos of the building were also not added until Thomas Jefferson’s and Andrew Jackson’s presidencies in the 1810s and 1820s.
The White House is truly a shell of its original self. The building was burned down by the British during the War of 1812, and it has received extensive interior and exterior remodelings ever since. These include a critical expansion that created the West Wing under President Theodore Roosevelt in the 1900s and the complete gutting of the building’s interior in the 1940s under President Harry Truman.
The White House is a working office building, an event venue, a museum, and a residence all at the same time. The state floor, the main floor of the building, is open to the public for tours and includes the rooms that most Americans are familiar with on the news and other photographs. These spaces still hold true to James Hoban’s original layout and feature stunning artwork and furniture from various centuries. The president and the first family live on the visible second floor and the semi-visible third floor of the building which is closed to the public. The president can decorate the residence as they wish; it truly acts as another home sitting on top of the public, ceremonial floor below. Other unique features of the home include the presidential bowling alley, an unused pool (now the location of the Press Briefing Room), a movie theater, and a barbershop.
The White House remains a building with an incredible history and famed stories. It continues to evolve as the nation evolves and the demands of space change. It has taken the work of countless talented individuals to design and redesign the most famous address in America.
Although I have also been past the White House a few times and constantly see it online and on the news, I never really considered what was all inside. This was a very interesting insight into both the architecture and amenities of the White House!
Hi Ben! When I first saw the White House, I too felt like it was smaller than it should have been. I remember seeing it from a distance, and it seemed very miniature and not fitting for a president. However, I now love the current design of the White House. I think it’s good that the White House isn’t very big and grand. I think that would make the president look too powerful. Instead, I think the size is perfect, and it makes it seems like a fitting home. I have never been inside the White House. but after seeing the pictures you provided, it look very beautiful, especially the entrance room. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your blog post!
As someone who lived in the D.C area for most of my life and has taken a few trips to our nation’s capital, I can attest to the fact that the White House is somewhat underwhelming at first glance. I like how you connected this to aspects of American political ideology, namely the idea that we view the President simply as a representative of the collective interests of the people. I can see how an extravagant design for the White House could make the president seem more like a monarch or tyrant whose elite status separates him from the interests of the common man.