The White House Complex

 The White House is a complex composed of four structures: 

- the Executive Mansion where the President and his family resides; 

- the Old Executive Office Building which holds the executive offices of the President and the Vice President; 

- the West Wing, which is the official office of the President; and 

- the East Wing, the official reception entrance to the State Rooms of the Executive Mansion.

The President's Residence

In 1789 when George Washington was elected President of the United States, there was no permanent official residence for him.  Various cities were the official capital of the United States - Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lancaster, York; a city became the capital wherever the Congress of the Confederation or the Second Continental Congress met.  In 1788, it was moved to New York City when the First United States Congress held sessions at Federal Hall for the first two years of Washington's Presidency.  Neither city was optimal for the size and style of residence that some members of Washington's cabinet had in mind. 

In 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act which gave President Washington the authority to permanently establish the federal capital. The site was established on the Potomac River for a ten square mile area. The actual site along the ten square miles was to be President Washington's choice.  He delegated the task to his Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and instructed him to oversee the surveying of the ten square mile area which would ultimately be approved by him.  Since both men were Virginians, they both agreed the executive residence of the President of the United States should be grand as befitting the President's status.

However, the two men had very different opinions about the type and style of the building. It was further complicated by French-American military engineer Pierre Charles L'Enfant who had lobbied to be assigned the job to plan the new federal city.  His reputation had preceded him and he was favored because he had designed Robert Morris' mansion in Philadelphia in 1792, never mind that it was never finished because Robert Morris went bankrupt. 

In 1794, L'Enfant was in charge of successfully reconstructing Fort Mifflin on Mud Island outside of Philadelphia. His plan for the President's Residence was to design a "Presidential Palace" that was "suitable for ages to come." It was so grandiose that it exceeded the size of five of the present day White House Complexes.

George Washington's Federalist Party leaders felt that Americans wanted their President to live in the style of an elected king who was set apart from the people.  Washington clearly didn't have his finger on the pulse of the new nation when he quickly approved of L'Enfant's plans because he thought he was conforming to the public's desire for their President to live in a palace.

However, Thomas Jefferson and his Republican Party members hated the proposed palace idea and Jefferson led his Party in the opposition. The Republicans thought the whole idea had the potential to abuse executive authority and that L'Enfant's outlandish plan was befitting of a monarchy, not a democracy.  

Jefferson lobbied for the President's House to be constructed of brick, not stone,. He felt that the new federal capital should be more simple and not have the high-brow aristocratic airs exhibited in monarchy countries of Europe. 

Washington said it was not only to be the residence and office of the President but also a national treasure to be enjoyed by the people - "The People's House."

For weeks they could not agree.  To resolve the conflict, Jefferson proposed that they hold a national competition. The best submission chosen by Congress would be used to  build the executive residence. The winning design was created by architect James Hoban. After congress presented it to George Washington, he approved it and the construction began.  

It took eight years to complete and although George Washington made every decision regarding the building and design, he would not live to occupy the residence. He died in 1799.  The Executive Mansion was finally completed in 1800 and President John Adams was the first President to occupy the residence, thereafter referred to as the White House. 

Public Access

While the Executive Mansion was being built, the public wandered in and out at will. In time, the Marshal of Washington City ordered the building closed to everyone who did not have a written pass.  

Then the question arose of just how much access the public should have to the Executive Mansion. Even with the reminder that it was supposed to be "the People's House," all public access to the whole White House Complex became more restricted because concerns were raised for the personal safety and security of the President and his family. 

While Thomas Jefferson's Republicans thought the idea of a Presidential Palace was too grand and anti-democratic, they also rejected efforts to deny the public's access to the Executive Mansion. But when Jefferson became President, he had a change of heart and did a complete turnaround. He threw open the doors every day so visitors could freely browse the State rooms on the first floor.  The only rule he imposed was that the Mansion was closed to the public during early morning hours, and when the President was asleep or out of town.

President Jefferson's early successors and their wives continued to greet visitors every day in the East Room for a short period during the mid-day hours.  

The inaugurations of Andrew Jackson in 1828 and William Henry Harrison in 1840 saw many visitors enjoy the unfettered access that was granted to them. Up until 1860, people were able to walk right up to the front door and knock for entrance.  That stopped with President Lincoln because of security issues. The State Rooms of the Executive Mansion continued to remain open to the public, except during war time.  The White House grounds were a prime attraction for sightseers and photographic opportunities.

Until the Washington Monument was constructed, there was an unobstructed view of the Potomac River from the Executive Mansion.   Through the years, access to the grounds was restricted by new walls and fences which forced visitors to stay on public thoroughfares so they could walk the entire length of the grounds.

Eventually guards were hired to regulate the flow of visitors to the grounds; they were later replaced by the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service.  Iron gates to the grounds opened at eight every morning and closed at sundown. A pass was not required to roam the grounds but sometimes visitors had to be redirected because they ventured off to areas where they should not be, hoping to get a glimpse of the President.  Soon a sentry box was installed at the gate to separate the garden from the rest of the grounds that were off limits to the public. 

When World War II broke out, the free public access to the White House grounds during daylight hours was ended as well as the practice of being able to walk up and knock on the front door of the mansion. All security measures were increased and visitors were required to report first to one of the numerous gates that surrounded the complex.   Only those with official appointments were admitted to the Executive Mansion. 

The West Wing

Under the direction of President Theodore Roosevelt, the West Wing was constructed in 1902 but up to that point, the President and his aides shared offices in the Executive Mansion.  As the authority and prestige of the Presidency grew, so did the need for space for the Executive Office of the President when it started to take over the First Family's living quarters.

When President McKinley was assassinated in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became President and his huge family moved into the Executive Mansion. They quickly outgrew the residence and Roosevelt started remodeling so he and his staff would have dedicated space to work. It took both his terms to complete the West Wing.

In 1909, President William Howard Taft oversaw the construction of the Oval Office, a separate and private workspace located within the West Wing.  

The East Wing

The East Wing was the last structure to be built in the White House Complex beginning in President Franklin D. Roosevelt's second term. It also coincided with World War II. He believed his staff was going to grow even larger due to the demands of war and would need more space. 

Originally he ordered several temporary buildings to be built on the South grounds, but he later changed his mind and ordered them to be built as permanent structures on the East side of the Executive Residence. 

He used the unfinished buildings as his base of military operations from 1942 onward,. However, like George Washington, Roosevelt would not see the finished project because the construction was not completed until after Roosevelt died in 1945.  

Today, the East Wing is a reception entrance for the many tours and social events hosted by the Executive Mansion.

Security

At  one time, the idea of having guards stationed in and around the White House Complex was considered inappropriate for the character of the new capital.  During President Franklin D. Roosevelt's term, the Secret Service wanted to cover the skylights with sand and tin, paint the colonnade windows black, and set up machine-gun stands on the roof. 

The President said no to most of the suggestions but finally said yes to some of the less obtrusive suggestions.

Crediting The Architect

Although architect Hoban's design for the Executive Mansion was selected from the contest winners, it is L'Enfant whose name went down in the history books as the designer of the federal capital of Washington City.  A series of bad financial decisions and work he was not paid for caused L'Enfant to die penniless in 1825.  His total estate amounted to about $46.00. He was buried at Green  Hill Farm in Maryland. 

In 1901, his plans for a "sweeping mall" and a "grand avenue" were used and the project became known as the National Mall. In fact his plans are often referred today as Washington D.C. continues to modify and develop its federal city.

In 1909, more than 80 years after his death, L'Enfant's final resting place was under water and unsuitable as a cemetery. His remains were placed in a metal-lined casket and after lying in state at the Capitol Rotunda, he was re-interred in front of Arlington House on a slope in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia overlooking the Potomac River and part of Washington DC that he had originally designed.  A monument was placed on his grave in 1911 which has a small engraved diagram of a map showing some of L'Enfant's design plan.   President William Howard Taft was in office in 1911 and  he conducted the dedication ceremony.  

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