Podcast White House Builder James Hoban’s Irish Roots
Over 200 years ago, James Hoban left Ireland for America to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. Selected by President...
Amenities & Living Comforts
- The first bath tubs in the White House were portable and made of tin; water was hauled in buckets.
- Running water was piped into the White House in 1833.
- Gaslighting, installed in the White House in 1848, replaced candles and oil lamps.
- A central heating system was installed in the White House in 1837 when many people still warmed themselves with a log or coal fire.
- Running hot water was first piped into the first family's second floor bathroom in 1853.
- In 1801 a cooking stove replaced the kitchen's open-hearth fireplace for preparing meals.
- The White House had its first hydraulic elevator installed in 1881, its first electric elevator in 1898.
A third floor bathroom, c. 1927.
You Might Also Like
-
-
Collection Presidential and First Lady Portraits
Since 1965, the White House Historical Association has been proud to fund the official portraits of our presidents and first ladies,...
-
Podcast Jacqueline Kennedy: Restoring the White House
When First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy took on the herculean task of restoring the interior of the White House, she appointed...
-
Collection Preservation of the White House
In the 1960s, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy oversaw the task of restoring the White House interiors and thus founded the...
-
Podcast James Hoban, Designer and Builder of the White House
James Hoban came from humble beginnings as a young carpenter and architect in Ireland, and went on to collaborate with...
-
Collection President Truman's Renovation
During the administration of President Harry S. Truman, the White House underwent a renovation and expansion so extensive, it changed...
-
Collection An Artist Visits the White House Past
From the beginning of its construction in 1792, until the 1902 renovation that shaped the modern identity and functions of the interior...
-
Collection Tudor Place
Two grand houses were under construction in the young Federal City in 1816: one the President’s House, reconstructed after it wa...
-
Collection James Hoban: Architect of the White House
James Hoban's life is a memorable Irish-American success story. In his boyhood he learned the craft of carpenter and wheelwright,...
-
Collection The Kennedys and the Arts
President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s advocacy for the arts endures as a vital part of th...
-
Collection Decorative Arts in the White House
Many people approach the decor of their homes as a reflection of oneself. But what happens when a home's interior...
-
Collection Dining in the Executive Mansion
A dinner at the White House has always had significance beyond the gastronomical delights. The elegance of the State Dining...
