The White House is for sure one of the most recognized symbols of the United States of America. It is the home of every president of the USA since 1800 when John Adams and his wife moved into the unfinished house. From the beginning, the White House was meant to be a flexible structure. With America not yet a quarter of a century old it was impossible to foresee how and when the needs of the chief executive would call for expansion, renovation, or redesign. It survived the war in 1812 and a major expansion in 1902 under president Theodore Roosevelt. His successor William Taft was the one who had the Oval Office constructed. A final major overhaul took place after Harry Truman entered office in 1945 because of the structural problems that came from many independent changes that were made to the core of the building. Almost everything except the outer was redesigned and rebuild so the buildings structure was finally consistent but the style designed by George Washington was preserved. Through out the years the White House got it two wings and many more additions but its to hard to mention all of them. Today the White House holds 142 rooms on six floors. The floor space is approximately 55,000 square feet. It is very possible that it will be renovated many times in future and other big changes are yet to come. The White House reflects a nation’s history through the accumulated collections of its residing presidents, and serves as a worldwide symbol of the American republic.
Sources:
http://www.history.com/topics/white-house
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about/inside-white-house
It is a rather well-proportioned classical building, looking really classy in this photo (unlike its current occupant). Was it really designed by George Washington?
OdpowiedzUsuńWhy it is white? It was just a random choice of architect or it is a symbol of sth?
OdpowiedzUsuńI guess it was just designed to look like this so it stood out from all the building but I think it also is a simbol of authority.
Usuń