The White House in Washington, D.C., is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States. Its design was chosen in a competition won by the Irish-born architect James Hoban, and the cornerstone was laid in 1792. It was built of sandstone from the Aquia quarries in Virginia, and the building was painted white to protect the stone, which led to its name. President John Adams was the first to live there. British troops burned it in 1814 during the War of 1812, and it was rebuilt, with the West Wing added in 1902 and a thorough renovation carried out under Harry Truman. It is a symbol of the American presidency and receives many visitors.
Before and after
- 7 January 1800Birth of Millard Fillmore
- 18 January 1800Founding of Bank of France
- from 20 April 1800 to 4 June 1800Siege of Genoa
- 24 April 1800Founding of Library of Congress
- 1 November 1800Construction of White House
- 1801Discovery of niobium
- from 1 January 1801 to 12 April 1927United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- 1801Discovery of vanadium
- 1 January 1801Giuseppe Piazzi discovers Ceres
More in Art, literature & culture
- from 18th century to 19th centuryRomanticism
- 1830Publication of Book of Mormon
- c. 1900sRise of Expressionism
- c. 1900sRise of modernism
- 1907Rise of cubism
- c. 1910sRise of Dada
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.