The White House was initially occupied by President John Adams in 1800, after construction began in 1792. A total of $232,372 was spent. It is estimated that this amount increases to $750 million in current dollars.
In 1824, Congress authorized the first major renovation of the executive mansion under President James Monroe. The estimated cost was then set at $1.5 million. Today's estimate is more than $54 million.
In 1958, another major renovation of the White House was completed under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The budget was set at $7 million at the time. It is now estimated to be about $80 million.
In 2001, George W. Bush became the first president to move into the White House while in office. This resulted in the first major redesign of the interior since the Monroe administration. The budget for this project was estimated at $120 million at the time. Now the total cost is estimated to be $407 million.
In 2014, Barack Obama became the second president to move into the White House as soon as he was elected. He also decided to have a major renovation of the interior done during his term. The budget for this project was set at $540 million at the time.
The first building was completed over an eight-year period at a reported cost of $232,371.83 (equivalent to $3,543,000 in 2020). The White House was ready for occupation on November 1, 1800, despite the fact that it had not yet been built. It is estimated that the total cost of construction of all five buildings was about $750,000 ($10,500,000 in 2020).
In 2019 dollars, this is about $14 million ($200 million in 2020). This estimate does not include the land upon which the buildings stand, which is valued at $732,929.53 today ($10 million in 2020).
Even with estimates that significantly understate the cost, building the White House was very expensive then and remains so now.
After considering various factors such as inflation, the 2012 budget for the President's House Office Complex is $55.4 million ($80 million in 2020). This includes maintenance and security costs as well as new facility construction.
The total cost of renting office space in Washington, D.C., is high compared with other cities due to the demand for and lack of availability of suitable space. Rents are particularly high for class A offices, which are larger and more expensive than typical offices.
Construction The White House construction began on October 13, 1792, with the laying of the cornerstone, though there was no official ceremony. The main mansion, as well as the house's foundations, were built mostly by slaves and free African-American workmen, as well as employed Europeans. It took five years to complete.
The White House was designed by Irish architect James Hoban. He also designed New York's City Hall, which was completed about a year before the White House.
The first set of white paint used to cover the walls of the president's residence was applied during the administration of Thomas Jefferson. He had a colorist sample rooms and public areas of the building painted this pale hue for consistency and ease of cleaning. This sample room style of painting is still used in new construction today for optimal visibility and cleanliness.
No, the president lives in "a" White House along with his or her family. There are actually two homes within the White House complex: the private family residence and the public office building that houses the Supreme Court, various government agencies, and other offices.
The White House was undoubtedly constructed at a time when slavery was both permitted and lawful in the United States. It took eight years to complete, from 1792 to 1800. The house was built by slaves who were hired out to skilled craftsmen who in turn were paid by George Washington himself.
In its initial construction phase, many of the materials used to build the house were obtained through slave trade. Black people were taken captive in North America and Europe and then transported across the Atlantic to work on various projects around the city. For example, there are records of nearly 70 black people being brought over from Africa between 1772 and 1776 to work on buildings related to the American Revolution.
The building process began with the clearing of land near what is now 16th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Once this area was leveled, the builders erected a wooden scaffold upon which they could work. Over the course of eight years, five major sections of the house were completed by different groups of slaves. The final section was added as part of the second term of President John Adams, and was completed just under four years after he took office.
The White House has been renovated several times since its completion in 1800.
In 2017, Zillow assessed the White House's value to be $397.9 million. The entire cost of construction is anticipated to be $232,372.53, including $20,000 for heat in winter.
The White House was built with American labor and materials that were available at the time. It is estimated that if it were rebuilt today, the price would be about $500 million.
The White House has been expanded several times; the first expansion was added in 1824 by James Monroe. The second expansion was completed in 1855 by William H.Harrison. The third expansion was completed in 1888 by Benjamin Harrison. The fourth expansion was completed in 1939 by Franklin D.Roosevelt. The fifth expansion was completed in 1994 by Bill Clinton. The most recent expansion was completed in 2001 by George W. Bush.
Any discussion of the costs and expenses associated with the White House must begin with the fact that no expense is too great for the government to incur. The president and his family are not expected to pay for their own meals or lodging - this is done through the federal budget.
It is estimated that there are more than 200 rooms in the White House.
Overall, the cost to taxpayers of running the White House under President Obama was around $1.4 billion per year. This includes costs for staff, utilities, security, maintenance, etc.
In comparison, the estimated cost of running the White House under President George W. Bush was $1.8 billion per year.
The estimate does not include funds from other sources (such as congressional appropriations or private donations) that are used specifically for White House operations. It also does not include funds spent on services such as guard hiring or office renovations that are available for general use by other government agencies or departments.
Obama's total budget for 2016 is $54.7 billion. So the cost of running the White House under Obama represents about 8 percent of his overall budget.
However, it is important to note that this amount does not include any funding for the presidential residence, known as "Obama Park" because it is located on the grounds of the White House. The federal government owns the land surrounding the house but allows residents to live there at no charge.
The total cost of housing Obama and his family was $684,000 per year.
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