Secrets of the White House
Built by slaves Enslaved people took part in every aspect of construction of the Executive Office from 1792 to 1800. This wasn’t a radical proposition for the time, as many local slave owners rented out their enslaved labor to neighbors and businesses. They could reap all the benefits without having to worry about their responsibilities to the workers.
Painting the White House Painting the White House is no easy task, as white is one of the worst colors for hiding imperfections. When your entire exterior is one spaghetti spill away from disaster, you need to keep your paint job pristine.
Secret passageways The first set of tunnels in the White House were installed during the reconstruction of 1950. A tunnel was built connecting the West Wing and the East Wing to provide access to a bomb shelter. In addition, Ronald Reagan had a tunnel built in 1987 to provide access to a secret staircase outside the Oval Office to protect him against terrorist attacks.
First family expenses Living in the White House comes with a lot of cool perks, but taxpayers don’t fund all of what the president does. While there is a White House chef on staff, the first family has to foot the bill for groceries and household necessities, such as toilet paper, garbage bags and toothpaste.
Windows always remain closed The White House has plenty of windows for natural light. Bulletproof and shatterproof, these windows are known to be some of the strongest ever developed. For security reasons, however, they must remain closed at all times.
Gh-gh-gh- … ghosts?! In a building with as much history as the White House, supernatural activity is bound to be reported. The most haunted room in the building is said to be the Rose Room. Among the ghosts being sighted are first lady Abigail Adams in the East Wing doing laundry and the voice of David Burns announcing himself.
Wedding destination With wide open green spaces and a pristine appearance, the White House would be the perfect place to hold a wedding. To date, only 18 weddings have been held on the grounds. The first was in the Blue Room in 1812, with Thomas Todd and Lucy Payne Washington, sister of first lady Dolley Madison.
Twin house in Ireland Even though the White House is a historically American image, an Irish architect, James Hoban, designed the building. Early sketches of the building looked strikingly similar to the home of the Earl of Kildare, now known as the Leinster House.
White House has its own police The Secret Service is known for keeping the president safe, but the Uniformed Division is responsible for the safety of the entire White House. Dressed in white shirts and black pants, there are over 1,300 sworn police officers and technicians in this division.