Construction on the President's House began in 1792 in Washington, D.C., a new capital situated in sparsely settled region far from a major population center. The decision to place the capital on land ceded by two pro-slavery states-Virginia and Maryland-ultimately influenced the acquisition of laborers to construct its public buildings. The D.C. commissioners, charged by Congress with building the

JAMES ARCHER ABBOTT is the Executive Director of the Lewes Historical Society in Lewes, Delaware. His publications include JANSEN, JANSEN Furniture, and Baltimore’s Billy Baldwin. He is the co-author of Designing Camelot. (WHH #60) WILLIAM ADAIR is a frame historian, conservator, and gilder in Washington, D.C. (WHH #54) MATTHEW ALGEO is a writer and journalist. He is the author of se

James Archer AbbottJames Archer Abbott currently serves as the Executive Director of the Lewes Historical Society in Lewes, Delaware. A graduate of Vassar College and the State University of New York/FIT, he has previously served as a museum director and/or curator for Johns Hopkins University’s Evergreen Museum & Library, the Baltimore Museum of Art, Boscobel House and Ga

The 2025 National History Day (NHD) theme is Rights and Responsibilities. The White House Historical Association offers a variety of resources to assist students working on NHD projects.

Tuesday, March 15 12:00-6:00pm: Registration at the Adolphus Hotel 12:00-3:00pm: Optional Day Trip The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza 12:00-3:00pm: Shuttle will continuously run between The Adolphus and the Sixth Floor Museum Join us for the pre-summit excursion to the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. The museum chronicles the assassination and legacy of President John F.

Sara Bon-Harper is the executive director of James Monroe’s Highland, a division of the College of William & Mary. Sara’s experience at Highland since 2012 includes initiating new site directions, most notably developing evidence-based public narratives in collaboration with Highland’s descendant community. Sara’s research leading to the archaeological discovery of the Monroes’ main house was a key factor in

In 2022, the White House Historical Association began partnering with UNTOLD, a project of the Driving Force Institute for Public Engagement, on a series of short educational videos highlighting lesser-known stories in White House history. These videos are produced by Makematic with support from DoGoodery.

Elaine Rice Bachmann

The David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History partners with a host of institutions to offer fellowships in White House history. Learn more about our current fellows below.

In 1802, Congress granted the citizenry of the District of Columbia limited local government and James Hoban served on the twelve-member city council for the next two decades, except for the years during which he was rebuilding the White House.Founder of Grand Lodge Number One of the Masonic Order, captain of a local militia company, a city councilman, and successful

Leslie Greene Bowman is President of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the home of Thomas Jefferson. She has spearheaded the Foundation’s vision to bring history forward into national and global dialogues — with a special emphasis on civic engagement, race and the legacies of slavery. Believing that Monticello is an essential place to unde

The White House Historical Association and presidential libraries, historic homes, and museums have a shared goal of providing access to presidential history. Below you will find a variety of digital educational resources compiled by the White House Historical Association that have been sourced from presidential sites relating to President Thomas Jefferson.Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar ForestLearn about the life and le