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,...
White House Plumbing Installation
President John Quincy Adams was an avid gardener who expanded the White House garden to two acres. An iron garden pump with "nine spout holes" was attached to a well at the Treasury building and provided water for the grounds. The Committee on Public Buildings discussed piping running water into the house in 1829 for fire protection, not convenience. President James Monroe had purchased a fire engine, no doubt with the destruction of 1814 in mind, which was kept parked with the White House coaches.
A detail from a watercolor of the White House grounds about 1827. Shown with the White House are Jefferson’s stone wall; the orchard and vegetable garden, fenced in rails; and several workmen’s shanties left over from the reconstruction.
Anthony St. John Baker, Memoires d'un voyageur qui se repose: With illustrations.... (London: Priv. print., 1850), RB 286000, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California "President's House, Washington";White House and Capitol, c. 1826 [watercolor]You Might Also Like
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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...
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Podcast Conversations from History Happy Hour
In this first episode of 2021, White House Historical Association President Stewart D. McLaurin introduces the Association’s popular virtual program Hi...
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Collection The 2021 White House Christmas Ornament
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament....
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Podcast A Discussion with the Voices of Lafayette Park
Thousands of people traverse historic Lafayette Park every day to get a glimpse of the White House. The park, right...
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Podcast St. John’s, the Church of the Presidents
Since the James Madison presidency, St. John’s Church has been an important part of the life of Lafayette Square an...
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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...
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Collection Olympic Celebrations
Honoring some of the greatest moments in sports history has become a tradition at the White House. Presidents and their...
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Collection The 2020 White House Christmas Ornament
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has had the privilege of designing the Official White House Christmas Ornament....
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Podcast Wine and the White House
Wine has a long and important history in the White House, playing a unique role in entertaining, public ceremonies, and...
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Podcast Recipes from the President’s Ranch
When you’re cooking for the president and first family, your meals and recipes become a part of history. In th...
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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...
