| Links |
vicepresidents
|
| Other Links |
|
|
 The White House is truly the people''s home. It stands as a monument to our ancestors and the democratic ideals upon which they modeled our nation. Inside it are precious gifts from the past that serve to remind us of our cultural heritage. If you do come to Washington, I hope that you will take time to visit in person. The White House is also the center of our nations government. The President and I have had the privilege of hosting many public events here, from the White House Conference on Early Childhood Development to formal State Dinners. As First Lady, I have met many wonderful people here at the White House. Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela, and many other leaders, entertainers, and ordinary citizens have been our guests. A renovation and refurbishing of the Blue Room was initiated in the early 1990''s by the Committee for The Preservation of the White House and completed in mid-1995. Hillary Rodham Clinton served as honorary chair of the committee and was actively involved in the project. The sapphire blue fabric used for the draperies and furniture covering is similar in color to fabric used in the room in 1800''s. The silk upholstery fabric retains the gold eagle medallion on the chair backs which was adapted from the depiction of one of the Monroe-era chairs in a portrait of President James Monroe. The Monroe-era furniture, consisting of seven original chairs and four reproductions and a sofa, was upholstered by Nelson Beck of Washington, D.C. The color blue was first acquired during the administration of Martin Van Buren in 1837; he redecorated the oval salon and began the tradition of the "blue room". For almost two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States government, and the American people. Its history, and the history of the nation’s capital, began when President George Washington signed an Act of Congress in December of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a district "not exceeding ten miles square…on the river Potomac." President Washington chose the site for the new residence, which is now 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As preparations began for the new federal city, a competition was held to find a builder of the "President’s House." Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in. Since that time, each President has made his own changes and additions. The White House is, after all, the President’s private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge. a list of american presidents with information about them
|