THE WHITE HOUSE
1. It has a twin house in Ireland
When Irish architect James Hoban entered a newspaper contest to find a builder for the
“President’s House” in 1792, it’s thought that he based his winning design on
the Leinster House in Dublin. Today, it’s the home of the Irish
Parliament.
2. It’s absolutely massive
There are 132
rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, 412 doors, and 147 windows spread
across the six elevator-laden levels of the mansion.
3. There’s tons of supercool “secret”
rooms
While everyone’s familiar with White House spaces like the Oval Office,
the Situation Room, and Press Briefing Room, most folks don’t realize that the
mansion also houses tons of niche rooms added by the presidents through the
years.
From the movie theater to the
Calligraphy Office, Game Room, Music Room, and the Solarium, there’s also a
Chocolate Shop, Flower Shop and dentist’s office on the ground floor.
4. But not every president has
enjoyed living there
As lush as life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue may seem, not every
president has called it a happy home. President Truman was quoted as describing
it as "the great white jail" and "a glamorous prison,” while
President Nixon famously talked with the presidential portraits during his final,
alcohol-buzzed days there.
5. George Washington never lived
there
Though the nation's first Commander chose the site of the presidential
mansion, he left office in 1797 and died in 1799, a year before construction
was completed, according to the White House Historical Association. John
Adams and Abigail Adams were the first residents, and all presidents
since have called it home during their time in office.
6. It was built by slaves
According to Smithsonian, historic payroll documents reveal that
many builders involved with constructing the White House were enslaved. The
architect James Hoban employed his own slaves Ben, Daniel, and Peter as
carpenters on the project.
7. Teddy Roosevelt dubbed it the
“White House”
Before the 26th president made the nickname official in
1901, the president’s home was known by several different names like the
President's Palace, the President's House, and the Executive Mansion, according
to the White House Historical Association.
8.
It was updated as wheelchair-accessible for FDR
The residence was updated as wheelchair accessible when Franklin D.
Roosevelt moved in in 1933, one of the first government buildings in D.C. to do
so, according to the FDR
Library.
9. Exotic pets have called it home
Exoctic pets who have called 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home include John
Quincy Adams’ alligator that lived in the bathroom, Theodore Roosevelt’s
daughter’s snake, Emily Spinach, and Calvin Coolidge’s menagerie that included
a bear cub, lion cubs, a bobcat, a wallaby, and a pygmy hippopotamus.
T E X
T C O M P
R E H E
N S
I O N
01-Complete: ______________________was
the first president to live in the White House.
a)George Washington b)Richard Nixon c)John Adams
d)Harry Truman e)James Hoban
02-Choose the correct sentence according
to the text:
a)Ben, Daniel and Peter were Teddy
Roosevelt’s slaves
b)There are thirty four bathrooms in the
White House
c)Teddy Roosevelt had a snake as a pet
d)Richard Nixon described the White
House as the Great White Jail
e)The Leinster House is the home of the
Irish Parliament
03-Complete: _____________________was
the 26th president of the USA.
a)Franklin D. Roosevelt b)Richard Nixon c)George Washington
d)Harry Truman e)Teddy Roosevelt
04-Who called the White House a
glamorous prison?
a)Abigail Adams b)James Hoban c)Harry Truman
d)Richard Nixon e)F. D. Roosevelt
05-Daniel, Ben and Peter were
_____________________.
a)presidents b)architects c)commanders d)mayors e)slaves
