Destination Spotlight

White House

Not only does the White House serve as the home of the President and his family, it also serves as the official office for the Executive Branch of our government, whose job is to execute or carry out the laws of our nation. Working from the Oval Office located in the West Wing, the President helps make the decisions that govern and protect our nation.

Since the President not only works out of the White House but resides there as well, many presidents have made changes to the building to accommodate their tastes: John Quincy Adams had a billiard table put in; President Fillmore’s wife started the official library of the Executive Mansion; President Coolidge brought in an electric hobby horse; Teddy Roosevelt had the tennis courts placed on the south lawn; Franklin D. Roosevelt added a swimming pool (which was later filled in); President Truman provided three pianos; and President Gerald Ford had a new swimming pool built.

Interesting Facts:

• There are 134 rooms in the White House, 32 of which are for the President’s residential/private quarters.
• The White House operator receives thousands of calls each day. The incident that caused the highest number of phone calls in White House history was…the death of Elvis Presley.
• The White House holds an Easter Egg hunt annually on the South Lawn. Children from all over the country come to hunt for the hidden treasures. But don’t worry, there’s no fear of a food fight starting because the eggs are wooden!

Links:

White House

President’s Park (White House) – National Park Service