Podcast White House: Next-Gen Designers
Following in the footsteps of the original White House designer and builder, James Hoban, we talk to a new generation...
Have you ever wondered...
Did enslaved people build the White House?
Enslaved laborers participated in every stage of building construction, from the quarrying and transportation of stone to the construction of the Executive Mansion. They worked alongside European craftsmen, white wage laborers, and other free African-American wage laborers.
Learn more about the construction of the White House here.
Learn about our Slavery in the President’s Neighborhood initiative.
A slave coffle passing the Capitol grounds, 1815, published in A Popular History of the United States, 1876.
Stonemason Collen Williamson trained enslaved people on the spot at the government's quarry at Aquia, Virginia. Enslaved people quarried and cut the rough stone that was later dressed and laid by Scottish masons to erect the walls of the President's House. The slaves joined a work force that included local white laborers and artisans from Maryland and Virginia, as well as immigrants from Ireland, Scotland, and other European nations.
This May 1795 payroll lists the carpenters who worked on the President’s House. The government did not own slaves, but officials did hire out enslaved laborers from their owners. Slave carpenters Peter, Ben, Daniel, and Harry were noted as owned by James Hoban.
Featured Questions
We've Also Been Asked...
-
Has every president worked in the Oval Office?
-
How did the White House get its name?
-
What is the Resolute Desk?
-
Who saved the Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington from the White House before it was burned in 1814?
-
Has the White House ever been renovated or changed?
You Might Also Like
-
-
Podcast Freemasons and the White House
Since the laying of the cornerstone in 1792, Freemasons have played an important role in the construction and the history of...
-
Collection The Decatur House Slave Quarters
In 1821-1822, Susan Decatur requested the construction of a service wing. The first floor featured a large kitchen, dining room,...
-
Collection Native Americans and the White House
Native Americans hold a significant place in White House history. For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples, including the Nacotchtank and...
-
Podcast James Hoban: The Charleston Years
Charleston holds hints and clues to the formative years of the ambitious young Irishman James Hoban and his dream to...
-
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...
-
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 The Working White House
For more than two centuries, the White House has been the home of American presidents. A powerful symbol of the...
-
Collection The Historic Stephen Decatur House
In 1816, Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr. and his wife Susan moved to the nascent capital city of Washington, D.C. With...
-
Collection The President's Neighborhood
Since the White House was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800, influential people and organizations—or those who hoped to...
-
Collection Protest at the People's House
For more than a century, thousands of Americans have gathered in Lafayette Park across from the White House to exercise...
-
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...
