How was the White House built?
A page from the Encyclopedia Americana online offered detailed information about the mansion that has housed every U.S. president since John Adams (the second U.S. president). Although he never lived there, George Washington chose the location for White House while he was in office. In 1792, Congress selected a plan submitted by architect James Hoban for a Palladian-style building. The Irish-born Hoban modeled the structure after the Leister House in Dublin. The cornerstone was laid October 13, 1792. John Adams and his wife Abigail moved into the unfinished house in 1800. Construction was ongoing until 1809, when Thomas Jefferson was the occupant. Over the years, the structure has been renovated, redesigned, and expanded a number of times, although the facade appears largely the same today as it did when it was built. After the British torched the White House during the War of 1812, it was rebuilt and enlarged. In 1901, Teddy Roosevelt arrived with his brood of six, necessitating addit
