Ask Mike: The White House’s original name
Hey Guys,
I’ve never taken the White House tour. But if I did, I’d ask the guide about the name. Sure, it’s appropriate. After all, the White House is a gigantic white house. But, sheesh, it’s a little boring, isn’t it? Couldn’t they have come up with something a little snazzier? Well, once upon a time, they did. The White House used to have a very different title.
When the White House was first constructed back in the early 19th century, it was known as the “Presidential Palace.” John Adams, America’s second president, and his wife, Abigail, were the first occupants. (George and Martha Washington never had the chance to reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.)
The official site for the White House features an in-depth article on the building’s history. At different points, the White House was also known as the President’s House and the Executive Mansion. Apparently, the “Presidential Palace” name was thought to sound too “royal.” Definitely not the vibe America was going for.
According to the White House Museum, an unofficial site, people began calling it the “White House” as early as 1811. Still, it wasn’t officially changed until 1901, when President Theodore Roosevelt had “White House” engraved on his stationary.
The House’s official site offers a lot of interesting factoids on the mansion. For instance, it “requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.” There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 3 elevators. And the entire thing was nearly burned to the ground in 1814, at the hands of the British.
Since then, it’s undergone numerous renovations, and every president makes at least a few changes when he and his family take up residence. President Nixon, for example, installed a swanky bowling alley.
Let’s say you became the President. What sort of changes would you make to the White House? And would you give it a new name? Please leave a comment below.
Thanks for reading,
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i would probibly put in an arcade. duuuuh.
I think it was first called the white house after 1812, before 1812 it used to be painted all sorts of colours but then the Canadians burned it down in the war of 1812. After it was burned down, from what I understand, all they had was white paint on hand, so they quickly painted it white (so as not to have a national symbol a burnt black colour).
Our (Canadian) historians allege that the White House was called the white house as a result of it being painted white to cover up the scorch marks from when we burned it in the War of 1812.
It was called the White House after it got scorched by the British in the War of 1812. The residents of DC whitewashed the parts that didn’t need replacing, to cover up the burn marks.
I would paint it eggshell white.
Then I would call it the Off White House.
ACTUALLY ITS VERY EXCITING IN THERE
Id take all the doors off the hinges… and the oval office would become the stable that Baby Jesus was born in and all the people that go to the white house invited or uninvited thanks to the CIA would be treated with respect like royality and given alotta money… and be understood that they suffer and i wouldnt tolerate any jokes in there and i would get rid of politics in there… and everyone that works in there would be crawling around on their two knees to GOD..
Mike,
I worked in DC for a few years back in the ’80s. I worked for a large California telecommunications company as their Director of Federal Marketing. My duties took me inside the White House and the OEOB from time to time but there was no “sight seeing” during those business meetings! However I learned that there were actually 2 different White House tours. The tour that most people know about is the public tour which requires people to order tickets or obtain them the day of the tour…and there are no reservations. It is 1st come, 1st come. I understand the tour is pretty nice but because so many people want the tour, the groups ushered through can number up to 20 people and the tour time is set…and limited. After finally making some of the “important” contacts (their opinion, not mine necessairly) the first year I learned about the other tour. To go on this tour you had to be invited, provide the Secret Service with identification at least a week in advance and go through much more security (including a mandatory pat down and search, passing through metal, explosives, radiation and chemical detectors). And if you don’t show up on time (early in fact)…the tour goes without you and you are not allowed to “catch up”. The tours are typically counducted by the spouses of Congressmen and Senators. The tours are conducted once a week, are limited to 8 people and the tour lasts about an hour. You must be invited by a member of Congress, a senior government official or as in my case…by a friend of mine who was a long time friend of President Reagan. I don’t know if they still provide this special tour any longer with all the threats out there, but I am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience that tour with my family.
Richard
We were taught that after the British burned it during the War of 1812, it was repainted white, and that’s when people started calling it the White House.
doritos machine
That was very interesting. I would install a miniature planetarium, and NOT give it a new name.
i’d totally like change the name BACK!
(((Or would you??)))
I’d make a women’s room. And a room with a starry ceiling that’s like being in SPACE!
and you men can have your own room too.
<3
? Woman
I think it’s been known as the Black House for the last year or so.
I would buy up all the land around the White House and make it a park. There would be lots of trees and some horses and so on. There would be places to have a picnic. All the low income houses would be gone. It is insulting to have all that around the White House. There would be more cherry blossoms to see and smell.
I would move all the people out of that bad neighbor hood and put them into nice apartments that would be built to house them after we tore their houses down to make the park.
Well, you asked.
the canadians actually did not burn it down according to my history text book
I’d return to the tradition of Lincoln and install a shooting range. Lincoln was fond of firearms and used to test fire rifles inventors would bring to him on the White House grounds.
Given the behavior of the last few occupants, any change of name I could come up with would be unflattering, to say the least. Best to leave well enough alone.
I’d install lots of twenty foot high candles on the roof, and call it the birthday cake.
But that’s just me.
Mike, you wrote: “When the White House was first constructed back in the early 19th century,”
I believe 19th century is a typo.
By the way I wouldn’t want to be president, but if I lived in a mansion I would want exercise club room with a trainer & full time dietrian-doctor.
I would build a section of the house to look just like an ordinary average home, so that when my family and i want to at least pretend to be normal, we could put on “normal clothes” and stay in there.
Salt water aquarium and greenhouse. Outdoor cooking stuff.
horses.
I would have liked to install a rollercoaster!
Mike,
I work about one block west of the Whitehouse and I for one appreciate your posting this to Y!A.
If I were “the” resident at the Whitehouse I wouldn’t call it anything different and nor would I attempt to chage the color. I have taken the tour and based on this I would find a way to extend the tour to a small portion of the South Lawn.
Again, thanks for posting this!
Gerry
Olympic size swimming pool and a 5 km roller coaster…
You spelled “stationery” wrong.
i would add a strip club to it
also Dr Pepper bottling plant
does it have a computer and technology department already? if it doesnt I would put up a complete underground state of the art computers and it people in there.
The white house is the home of depravity. Child molestation and rape, satanic rituals and only God knows what else.
There would be an amazing jungle gym type thing. I have always wanted to swing aroud like monkeys. =p
*AND…i would totally keep the name.*
So the gist is that the burn marks where covered with white paint. Could this be the circumstance that led to the invention of ‘White out’ mmmm, I dunno. Perhaps maybe?
I think they should repaint it Grass Green to promote ‘Going green’ and Call it The Green House. The politicians would be, The Green House Asses.
If I were President, I’d have a mini-theater put somewhere and a gaming room–full of video games, arcades and a snack bar!
Government was held for awhile in PA, then moved to NY until the first seat of formal unifying Government was built in what is not D.C.
Abigal Addams never lived in any of the seats of governments, including what is known as the white house. Rather she stayed in MA to tend to the farm and other family duties so the family would have an income.
She wrote her husband often, and assisted him socially from afar. There letters have been published as John Saved everything the two ever wrote to each other, and letters sent between him and anyone else.
The first woman to live in the first capitol was Dolley Madison, who acted as Thomas Jeffersons First Lady, as he was a widower and not much of a social person. In fact he hated dignitaries visiting from foreign countries and neighboring states and villages.
The 1st white house was burnt by the British in 1812, the first act of terrorism on US soil, vs the actions in NY back in the 90′s then again on 9/11, when James Madison struck up an old sore left over from Jefferson called the “Merry Affair.” Dolley fled with the silverware and sent her personal slave off with the portrait of George Washington which now hangs in D.C to this day.
After the building was burned it had to be rebuilt, on the back of slave labor, and Dolly Madison named D.C Capitol City, and the new building “The White House.
My friend was in the Canadian regiment that burned it down, so I don’t think the British did it, I think it was a Canadian reserve regiment.
That was very interesting a little short but interesting, I would put an inside swimmingpool if they don’t already have one.
free energy.
after the rest of the country had it.
A gift shop! (If there isn’t one already) And maybe something to do with animals, like a zoo or reserve. I definitely wouldn’t rename it.
The White House doesn’t have tour guides. If you are lucky, someone from your Congressman’s office will meet you to take you on the tour, but usually you are on your own.
On the normal tour, there are Secret Service agents in each room and hallway that will tell you about the room and point out certain features. Make sure you ask them questions as not all of them will just talk to you without you starting the conversation. People tend to be very quiet while in the WH. Although some SS agents are very friendly and enjoy telling you about the WH.
For special tours to the West Wing and the gardens, White House staffers guide the tours. This is a rare privilege you have to be invited to.
Renaming the White House would be political suicide.
i would put in a big cinema room and a big games room so i could invite all my mates round for a game night ^^
also i would turn it into a big mosh pit for raving xD
I would install a private bar where I would only invite close friends and family. Have my own special cocktail named for me.
As I quote from Paris Hilton “I would love to paint it pink.”
haha found it in an interview for a magazine. It would certainly grab people’s attentions.
I would love to make some of the rooms floor wood & grab a pair of roller skates, it’s always been a childhood fanasty.
I’d put in a pub, an indoor pool and a snooker table. And a dance club.
I think its called the white house. Its always been called that, hasn’t it?
I got the grand tour back in ’54 when security was limited to watching out for Checkers biting your ankles.
We got to go over all of the House except the private quarters of Dwight D. Eisenhower; President at the time.
Security was like anything British. Security personnel were nearly invisible and never approached us, as we were all youngsters with teacher chaperones. It was a cloudy, rainy day in April so outside was off limits and the Rose Garden had not been established yet.
Two days later the Spring blossoms burst forth but we were on our way south to Jamestown and missed it entirely.
recently they said the president had a hard time attending church services due to media, I wrote to the WH and told them why don’t they put in a non denominational chapel if they don’t already have one.
How come you didn’t say who built the White House? I just read a book that talked about this and it was the African-American slaves that built it. No wonder they called it the White House!
i would paint it pink, and name it the ‘pink house’. xD
i would put in a home theater / Enterainment (like wii ps3) along with a galaxy world. and a macdonalds
The British ambassador called it the White House in his correspondence in 1811. At that time many buildings were painted with a white paint. The myth that it was called the White House after it was burned is most often found in Canada.
I would have an organic sustainable farm. I would make the white house “green” by having it run by solar panels, have fresh air be circulated inside. I would put lots of plants in there for cleaner, fresher, more oxygenated air.
it was called the executive mansion until 1901
I’d make it ready for the Chinese, I think they own it.
The building was sandstone colour and we British tried to burn it down. It ended up with black smoke marks all over so they painted it WHITE.
Check the history books.
My belief why it was finally named the White House besides it’s color; it’s pretty much as generic as you can get.
Unimposing; non threatening; most similar to most house and homes in America, white in color, painted that is; a common color that is easy accessible by all classes and races of people.
I do believe that outside of covering over burn marks, it stands for a blank page that’s open to society’s suggestions, beliefs and wishes.
Would we want it to look any other way, or be called anything else? How about the Big House? Oh yeah, that’s prison.
No, the White House, Our House means what it should mean.
paint it black, put in a barbecue pit and let’s get with the times people!
i would add a cricket pitch with a net around it