Route 50 passes the White House on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. We tend to think of the White House as it currently exists, but of course it has evolved:
- At first, White House cooks relied on an open hearth fireplace in the kitchen. In 1801, Thomas Jefferson began enjoying food cooked on a White House stove.
- The British burned the White House during the war of 1812.
- The six presidents who preceded Andrew Jackson did not have running water in the White House. It was installed in 1833, during Jackson’s administration.
- In 1848, the first gas lamps were used in the White House. Before that, President James K. Polk and his predecessors used candles and oil lamps to read and to get about during the night.
- The first White House telephone was installed in 1879. To reach President Rutherford B. Hayes, you could call his telephone number: 1.
- Benjamin Harrison brought the first Christmas tree into the White House in 1889.
- William Howard Taft converted the White House stables into a garage in 1909, so he would have a place to park his new official cars.
In the past, the White House hosted some big parties:
- In 1829, Andrew Jackson’s inauguration party drew 6,000 people, way more than he expected. Food ran out, and to get people out of the White House, the staff mixed whiskey and orange juice in washtubs and put them outside on the back lawn. Jackson himself escaped through a window, decamping to a hotel for the night.
- In 1911, William Howard Taft celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary with 8,000 of his closest friends. Several orchestras played, and electric lights in the trees made for a romantic atmosphere.
And the White House was not immune to slavery:
- Enslaved persons helped build the White House before President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in, in 1800.
- The British burned the White House in 1814, during the War of 1812. Before that happened, President James Madison’s wife, Dolly, removed and hid Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington. At the same time, enslaved persons removed other items from the White House. They then brought them back after the war.
- Enslaved persons are known to have slept in the White House, including during Andrew Jackson’s tenure.
- During James Buchanan’s presidency (1857 – 1861), his administration included both Northerners and Southerners. During White House dinners, the two sides had violent arguments over abolition. As a result, and not from a noble impulse, Buchanan removed enslaved persons from the White House.
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Photo by the author.