The White House
The White House is a symbol of Washington and the U.S. It recreates the strength and determination of presidential power. The White House got it’s name in 1901 by President Theodore Roosevelt, before it was known as the Presidential Palace, the President's house or head of the executive. The White House is the official residence of U.S. President - both his home and workplace.
The White House is the job of the entire presidential staff and security is ensured by the United States Secret Service. Here, at the address Washington (DC), 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue (1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW) the U.S. government meetings are held.
It all began in December 1790, when President George Washington signed a document called "Act of Congress". In it he lays down the town Washington as the capital, with the following words: "...the residence of the federal government will be in the region whose area will be larger than 10 square miles along the Potomac...".
The place to be built a future presidential residence was chosen personally by George Washington with the city architect Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant's. The concourse for the project, was won by Irish architect James Hoban.
The foundations of the White House were made in October 1792 and the final building is completed and submitted for use in the 1800s. The White House became the first residence of President John Adams. From then until this day every presidential couple has made changes to the interior of the building because the symbol of American presidential power serves not only as an administrative building, but as a private home of the president and his family .
In the course of its history, the White House was burned twice. The first time was in 1814 during the British-American War and the second - in 1929, when flames covered the western wing. At the time of President Harry Truman, the internal plan of the building was refurbished and only the external walls remain unchanged.
The complex includes the White House residence (Executive Residence), West Wing, Cabinet Room, Roosevelt Room, East Wing and Old Executive Office Building, which houses the working offices of the President and Vice President.
The White House has a total of 6 floors, including the ground levels, which are 2. The building has 132 rooms and 32 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 4 staircases and 3 elevators. In 2007, the White House is rated as the second most favored by Americans architecture.
Furthermore, the study of the White House includes entertainment venues for the President and a tennis court, swimming pool, cinema, sports equipment and more. The building of the White House is also the only residence of a president in the world that is open for public visits.
Public visits are available from 07:30 am to 11:00 pm from Tuesday to Thursday, between 07:30 to 24:00 on Fridays and between 7:30 to 13:00 pm Saturday, except national holidays, or if not explicitly disclosed.
