Tag: Maryland

The White House

Sixteen-hundred Pennsylvania Avenue is among the most famous addresses in the United States. The 132-room home and workplace has also been known as the Presidents House and the Executive Mansion, but since 1902 its officially been called the White House.

When George Washington was President, government meetings were held in various cities. He and Martha Washington kept two homes in New York and one in Pennsylvania. Seeing the need for a federal city, the President and Congress agreed in 1790 to the Residence Act. This provided for a district not exceeding ten miles squareon the river Potomac. The new federal city would be designed by Pierre L’Enfant, and the city planner would hold a blueprints contest for the Presidents house.

James Hoban, an Irishman living in South Carolina, won the competition with a classic Georgian design. (Thomas Jefferson was also among the entrants; he competed under a pseudonym.) Hoban based the building on a dukes palace in Ireland.

Two states, Maryland and Virginia, ceded land for the new federal district. Both were slaveholding states, and slaves broke ground for the home. The work was completed by European immigrants. The new house wasnt built in time for the Washingtons to move in; John and Abigail Adams were the first to take up residence in 1800.

The building has undergone countless changes since the years of John and Abigail Adams. Interior redecorating and structural changes started with the next resident President, Thomas Jefferson. He ordered French furniture and French wallpaper, and he added space outdoors to conceal stables and storage. Other Presidents would make even larger additions: Theodore Roosevelt — who had six children and required more space contributed the West Wing; and FDR added the East Wing during World War II to conceal construction of an underground bunker.

Each Administrations time at the White House brought something new, but here are some of the more notable changes:

* British soldiers burnt the building in 1814 during James Madisons presidency. Most of the home and its contents were destroyed by fire. A thunderstorm saved outside walls, and Dolley Madison rescued a famous portrait of George Washington. The architect James Hoban was available for renovations.
* The White House needed an extensive washing after 20,000 muddy partiers celebrated Andrew Jacksons inauguration. Jackson soon installed running water. He also planted magnolia trees and made plans for later landscaping.
* James Garfield installed the first elevator.
* Harry Truman extensively renovated the whole house and added a second porch. He also added basements for wartime safety.
* The White House was made more wheelchair-accessible during FDRs service. A pool was also added in consideration of his physical challenges.
* Richard Nixon cemented over the FDR pool to create a Press Briefing Room.
* Jacquelyn Kennedy directed the most extensive and historically accurate White House restoration. She also planted a flower garden.
* Rosalynn Carter contributed an Office of the First Lady.

Today the White House Complex consists of six stories and 55,000 square feet of space. The Executive Residence spans several floors. Two basement levels also provide storage, service areas, and a bomb shelter for the Presidents family. The West Wing holds executive offices including the Oval Office, the Cabinet Room, and the Situation Room. The East Wing is home to offices for the First Lady, White House correspondence staff, and other White House staff members.

Some of the interior is visible to the public, but tours must be pre-arranged by a member of Congress. Visitors might tour the State Floor, where several rooms are simply named by color: the Green Room, Red Room, and Blue Room. The Green Room is named for the moss green silk that lines its walls. Its used for informal meetings and photo opportunities with foreign political leaders. Famous Green Room paintings depict Benjamin Franklin, John Quincy Adams, and Abigail Adams. The Red Room is decorated like an early-1800s parlor with a marble mantel. The Blue Room is the White Houses most formal setting. Its shaped like an oval and is furnished with gilded furniture. This is where the White House Christmas tree is traditionally placed. Visitors might also see the Map Room, the State Dining Room, or the famous Lincoln Bedroom.

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The Washington Monument

The Washington Monument, which is visible from almost everywhere in Washington,
D.C., is truly a city landmark. The 555-foot tall obelisk has punctuated the National Mall
since 1884. It honors George Washington, Father of the United States, who was
unanimously elected the nations first President.

When George Washington died in 1799, Congress praised him as First in war, first in
peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen. Politicians proposed a Washington
monument in the early 1800s, but they disagreed about details. For example, should the
monument include Washingtons tomb? Would it be appropriate to depict him in ancient
Greek style? When a statue was eventually presented, people objected to the half-clad
classical Greek sort of George. Congressional quibbling ultimately led to the creation of a
private monument foundation.

The National Monument Society was formed in 1833. The members raised a considerable
amount of money within a few years, and in 1836 they announced a design competition
for the memorial.

An artist named Robert Mills submitted the winning design. He proposed a 600-foot
obelisk that would protrude from a circular base. The base and obelisk would be
decorated with statues and frescoes of national heroes, including a toga-clad George
Washington in a horse-drawn chariot. In the end, however, the obelisk would be a bit
shorter, and the artists plan for statues and frescoes would not be realized.

The monuments cornerstone was laid amid great celebration in 1848. Ceremonially, the
National Monument Society ensured that the stone was set with the same trowel George
Washington had used when setting the Capitols cornerstone years earlier. The city
celebrated that night with fireworks.

With the cornerstone set, the National Monument Society increased its efforts to fund the
project. Ordinary citizens were urged to pledge $1 each. Businesses, professional
organizations, foreign governments and Native American tribes contributed stones.
Sometimes the stone donations were engraved with messages that didnt speak to the
theme of George Washington; one block of stone read, We will not buy, sell, or use as a
beverage, any spiritous or malt liquors, Wine, Cider, or any other Alcoholic Liquor.
Engraved stones make up interior walls of the hollow monument.

Scandal erupted around a stone donation in 1854, and the entire project came to a halt.
The anti-Catholic Know-Nothing Party stole and smashed a donation made by Pope Pius
IX. They dumped the stone chips into the Potomac River. This resulted in Congress
rescinding an approval for $200,000 in memorial funds. The Know-Nothings then
assumed management of the monument society, but their legacy is unimpressive.
Everything they added to the monument was eventually removed, and no real progress
was made until after the Civil War.

Because of the cut in funding, the monument ended up being shorter than originally
planned, and without the statues envisioned by Mills. A lag in construction time also led
to stone being sourced from different quarry layers, so the coloring of the monument is
not uniform.

Work was finally completed in 1884. The monument, though short of its goal, was the
largest structure in the world until the Eiffel Tower was completed five years later. It was
much larger than the Egyptian obelisks that inspired it; these are typically about 100 feet
tall. The walls were made fifteen feet thick at the base and narrowed to 18 inches near the
top. The monument was capped with a 100-ounce aluminum pyramid. At the time,
aluminum was scarce and was valued like silver. This was the largest cast-aluminum item
in the world.

Starting in 1888, adult male visitors were allowed to travel up the Washington Monument
in a twenty-minute steam-powered elevator ride. Somehow the ride was deemed too risky
for women and children; they would have to climb the 800 stairs for a view!
Progressively speedier elevators were installed since then, and for safety reasons people
are now forbidden to use the stairs.

From the top of the Washington Monument, tourists can see most of Washington, D.C. as
well as parts of Maryland and Virginia. In March and April, flowering cherry trees can be
spotted in West Potomac Park below.

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