Best of the White House History

The White House in the United States of America is not only the official home but also a workplace for the American presidents. In 1792, the commissioners of the Federal City decided to design a permanent home for the presidents.

George Washington, the first president of the United States, was the only president who lived his presidential period out of the white house.

The white house which had been occupied by John Adams and his wife Abigail for the first time in November 1800 was built during the years between 1792 and 1800 in Washington D.C.

The architect of the white house was James Hoban who designed the house in the Georgian style and received a $ 500 gold medal and a plot of land as a prize from Thomas Jefferson.

Thomas Jefferson was the president who ordered the building outward expansion. During the presidential period of James Polk, between the years 1845-1849, gas was piped in the white house and it was in the presidency of Benjamin Harrison that this official house felt the power of electric lighting.

The white house has been always a safe executive residence for all American presidents; but the year 1814 was the exception in the American history. On August 24, 1814 the British troops had been ordered to burn and destroy Washington D.C. and the white house. As a result whole parts of the house burnt and only exterior walls remained.

Today there are 132 rooms in the white house all of them have been the eyewitness of the formation of the United States' history.

In this article I am going to introduce some of the white house's room such as the "Blue Room", "Vermeil Room", "Red Room", "Green Room" and the "East Room".

The Blue Room:

This room has been located above the Diplomatic Reception Room. This room has always been used as a reception room but there is an exception during the presidency of John Adams as he used it as a south entrance hall. President Madison asked architect Benjamin Latrobe to design the Blue Room but most of the furniture burnt and destroyed in the fire of 1814.

President Monroe was a person who redecorated the room after reconstruction by the French style which has been remained until now.

The house was decorated in blue color during the presidency of Martin Van Buren in 1837, so the new decoration changed the Oval Room to the Blue Room.

The Green Room:

This room has been served different purposes as a "Lodging Room" and a green "Dining Room" for Thomas Jefferson, as a "Sitting Room" for James Madison and as a "Card Room" for Monroe.
This room was decorated in different styles by different presidents until the time of Theodore Roosevelt, when it was decorated by the 19th century American Furniture. Then Coolidge refurnished the Green Room by authentic Federal-period furniture.

The Red Room:

Red Room has been decorated by different style of furniture. Most of the United States' presidents have used this room as "Sitting Room"; but the Red Room served as "Yellow Drawing Room "for Madison.

In 1803, Benjamin Latrobe indicated that this room is suitable to serve as "the President's Antechamber" for the Cabinet Room or the President's Library. Recently presidents have used this room for small dinner parties.

The Vermeil Room:

The Vermeil Room or the Gold Room has been used as a Display Room or a Ladies Sitting Room for formal occasions. The room has been decorated in green background and gold silk highlights and furnished by a table in the Empire style, the gold walls also covered by the seven First Ladies' portraits.

The East Room:

This room has been used for different purposes such as dances, award presentations, weddings, funerals, bill-signing ceremonies, press conferences and generally for large gathering.

The East Room was designed by James Hoban as the "Public Audience Room". The room's wall has been covered by the portrait of George Washington, one of the few work pieces which remained after the fire of 1814, painted by Gilbert Stuart.

At the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, the East Room witnessed many activities during Civil War; Even Union Troops occupied the room for some days.