Who Built the White House
The white house is one of the best known man-made landmarks in the whole world. Its location is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C and is the residence of the President of the United States. Every president since John Adams, the 2nd president, has lived in the white house. It also contains an office for the president, called the Oval Office, and offices for the senior staff. The Cabinet Room is used for business meetings and is also where the US Cabinet meets. There are many other important rooms in the White House, including a room for briefing the press and a room to deal with crisis situations. If you have ever wondered who built this important building, read on to find out.
Who built the White House?
The first President George Washington and city planner Pierre L’Enfant chose the location for the White House in 1790. A competition was then held to come up with the best design for the building. Irish architect James Hoban’s design was chosen as the best out of the 9 designs that were submitted. George Washington oversaw the construction, but the actual building of the white house was completed by a group of about 600 men. Recent research suggests that about 400 of these workers were African-American slaves. The slaves did earn money while they worked on the building, but all the money went straight to their owners. Construction took 8 years (1792-1800) and John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the house in 1801.
There have been many additions to the White House since it was built. However, the adding of the West Wing, the reconstruction during Harry S Truman’s presidency and the restoration undertaken by Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of President John F. Kennedy, are some of the biggest changes that the building has seen.
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