Hoban was influenced by the Roman architect Vitruvius and the Renaissance-era architect Andrea Palladio. While various structures have been mentioned as the primary inspiration for Hoban's design, the top floors of Dublin's Leinster House have been identified as the most credible impact. The Leinster House is an impressive example of neoclassical architecture, which helped inspire much of Washington, D.C.'s early federal architecture.
Hoban also may have taken notes from his own experience building a house. He had just come off of a long job in Philadelphia when he was hired to plan the new White House. During that time, he probably saw many large houses being built up north in the country estates of the rich and famous. Those homes often didn't have their first floor dining rooms until well into their construction because they were waiting for their owners to move in. But once they did, those rooms became some of the most elegant spaces in the area. It's possible that part of Hoban's plan from the beginning was to create a house that would be used by everyone from the president down to the servants, but only become truly special when you were invited into it.
There are several other factors that may have contributed to the design of the White House. For one thing, the location of the White House site was not chosen by Thomas Jefferson but rather by Henry Lee, who owned the land it was built on.
The house was created in the neoclassical style by Irish-born architect James Hoban. Hoban based the structure on Leinster House in Dublin, which now houses the Irish legislature, the Oireachtas. Between 1792 and 1800, Aquia Creek sandstone was painted white and used in the construction. The original roof was also made of sandstone, but it had to be replaced after it was damaged by fire.
Because its first owner, President George Washington, wanted it to be built with as much quality as possible like a European country home. He also desired that it be kept as clean as a white house.
Mrs. Washington liked what she saw during her visit in 1791 and said that it was better than any house in Virginia. Mr. Washington didn't like the distance of the road leading up to the house nor the height of the wall surrounding it. But once they moved in, they were happy with their new home.
The White House kitchen has been the site of many a culinary battle between the chefs who work there. First and foremost, you have to know that the White House kitchen is not your average American kitchen.
The White House is a large residence designed in the neoclassical Federal style, with elements reminiscent of classical Greek Ionic architecture. The initial design by James Hoban was based on the Leinster House in Dublin, Ireland, and did not contain the north and south porticos. These were added later by Benjamin Henry Latrobe.
The house has been altered and rebuilt several times since its construction in 1792. It was originally built as a hotel for George Washington when he moved to Washington, D.C., but he never stayed there. The Washingtons first lived in a small apartment over a store owned by they hired someone to live in the house while they saved money to be able to pay for it. In 1801, Congress authorized the president to appoint a secretary and other officers to run the government during peace time, so that Washington could focus on his job. The Washingtons moved into the White House in 1815. Thomas Jefferson was the first president to live in the house completely; he left when his second term began in 1809. After him, only one family lived in the house until William Howard Taft became president in 1909. He had the ground floor renovated in French Provincial style to make it more comfortable for living in the Washington, D.C., weather.
Architect James Hoban The cornerstone was placed the next year, and a design proposed by Irish-born architect James Hoban was chosen. President John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the still-unfinished house after eight years of building. It was now that Abigail began her famous letter to her daughter Nabby, in which she described Washington as a city of trees and gardens.
When Abigail died in 1818, President James Monroe ordered that she be buried alongside him in the family cemetery near Leesburg, Virginia. He never married. His nephew Lawrence Lewis became the second president two years later.
The White House has been renovated or rebuilt several times since its construction. In 1840, for example, the south portico was destroyed by fire. It was replaced by one with identical columns but with semicircular pediments instead. Other changes have included replacing the roof, heating system, and electrical wiring.
American citizenship means that you are part of a country where you can live without identification papers, where they know exactly who you are from birth certificate to death certificate. No other country in the world offers such protection.
America's roots go back more than three centuries, to the founding of Pennsylvania. But it wasn't until much later that the United States acquired global significance.
Because there was not enough stone at the government quarry to finish both the Capitol and the President's House, Hoban's 1793 north elevation sketch decreased the structure from three to two levels. The State Floor is virtually precisely how Hoban's 1792 blueprint depicted it. The only difference is that the current flooring is hardwood instead of the original grass.
The reduction in height allowed the building to be more economical to construct. More importantly for a nation still struggling with debt after its own creation, it also allowed the federal government to save money. The Senate Office Building, four times as large, was not built until 1851. Even so, it cost twice as much to build.
In any case, the two-floor design made sense for its time and continues to make sense today. There are many rooms on the first floor that do not get enough traffic to justify making them public spaces, so they're better off being offices. The same can be said of many public areas that might benefit from the addition of a few more seats or storage units but don't need to be used by many people at once.
The second floor is where all the action happens. It has all the main conference rooms, the Cabinet Room, and the Oval Office. Here you will find state dinners when the president receives foreign leaders. Open houses where anyone can come and look around.
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