WHY IS THE WHITE HOUSE A UNIT OF THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM?
President’s Park — the area encompassing the White House, its grounds, the Ellipise, and Lafayette Park — is integral to Pierre Charles L’Enfant’s 1791 design for the nation’s capital. The White House has been the residence and Office of every U.S. president and his family since John Adams moved in on November 1, 1800. Its endurance for 200 years reflects the stability of our free and democratic nation. In 1961 Congress asked the National Park Service to administer the White House and its grounds as a unit of the national park system.
