The British tried to burn the house down during the war of 1812. When repairs were done the only thing they had to paint with was whitewash hence the color. Before it was called the Presidential Palace.
“If only I was president, You know I’d paint the white house pink And never have to pay the rent If only I was president” — “Delicious Surprise” Jo Dee Messina
According to: http://www.whitehousehistory.org/questions/why-is-the-white-house-white
White paint has nothing to do with covering the burning of the house by the British in 1814, although every school child is likely to have heard the story that way. The building was first made white with lime-based whitewash in 1798, when its walls were finished, simply as a means of protecting the porous stone from freezing. It was meant to wear off for the most part, leaving cracks and crevices filled, the whitewash was never allowed to weather, but was refreshed periodically until the structure at last was painted with white lead paint in 1818. By that time it had for more than a decade been known as “The White House.” The name, though in common use, remained a nickname until September 1901, when Theodore Roosevelt made it official. Congressman Abijah Bigelow wrote to a colleague on March 18, 1812 (three months before the United States entered war with England): “There is much trouble at the White House, as we call it, I mean the President’s” (quoted in W. B. Bryan, “The Name White House,” Records of the Columbia Historical Society 34-35 1932: 308).
What happened was the Defense of Fort McHenry (the real title of the song usually called “The Star-Spangled Banner”). The Royal Navy was supposed to take Baltimore, and then the British Army and the Royal Navy were supposed to join forces to take the entire Potomac basin. But Fort McHenry, in Baltimore Harbor, held out against the RN’s bombardment, and the entire strategy had to be abandoned. The RN went back to fighting Napoleon, and the British Expeditionary Force, which had been ordered not to advance upon Baltimore unless Fort McHenry fell, marched down to New Orleans instead, where they were taught (not for the first time, I’m afraid) that pike tactics don’t work against entrenched rifles.
(To be fair; they didn’t “run”. That’s just a pop song.)
But the name had unexpected benefits in WWII — when German spies learned that Roosevelt and Churchill were to meet in Casablanca the Wehrmacht assumed the "white house’ in question was in Washington!
Templo S.U.D. over 8 years ago
I bet the Argentine equivalent of the Fox family is having the same discussion about the Pink House in Buenos Aires.
Alexander Batey over 8 years ago
The British tried to burn the house down during the war of 1812. When repairs were done the only thing they had to paint with was whitewash hence the color. Before it was called the Presidential Palace.
Bill The Nuke over 8 years ago
@yardlet6: Thanks, I never knew that.
NeedaChuckle Premium Member over 8 years ago
Harry Truman had it gutted and repaired during his term. It was falling down but people hated him for doing it.
Wren Fahel over 8 years ago
“If only I was president, You know I’d paint the white house pink And never have to pay the rent If only I was president” — “Delicious Surprise” Jo Dee Messina
puggles over 8 years ago
" Move into the White House, paint it yellow."
Barbra Streisand song “Everything” from the movie “A Star is Born.”
Sailor46 USN 65-95 over 8 years ago
According to: http://www.whitehousehistory.org/questions/why-is-the-white-house-white
White paint has nothing to do with covering the burning of the house by the British in 1814, although every school child is likely to have heard the story that way. The building was first made white with lime-based whitewash in 1798, when its walls were finished, simply as a means of protecting the porous stone from freezing. It was meant to wear off for the most part, leaving cracks and crevices filled, the whitewash was never allowed to weather, but was refreshed periodically until the structure at last was painted with white lead paint in 1818. By that time it had for more than a decade been known as “The White House.” The name, though in common use, remained a nickname until September 1901, when Theodore Roosevelt made it official. Congressman Abijah Bigelow wrote to a colleague on March 18, 1812 (three months before the United States entered war with England): “There is much trouble at the White House, as we call it, I mean the President’s” (quoted in W. B. Bryan, “The Name White House,” Records of the Columbia Historical Society 34-35 1932: 308).
dflak over 8 years ago
Obi-wan to Luke while visiting DC: “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.”
John W Kennedy Premium Member over 8 years ago
What happened was the Defense of Fort McHenry (the real title of the song usually called “The Star-Spangled Banner”). The Royal Navy was supposed to take Baltimore, and then the British Army and the Royal Navy were supposed to join forces to take the entire Potomac basin. But Fort McHenry, in Baltimore Harbor, held out against the RN’s bombardment, and the entire strategy had to be abandoned. The RN went back to fighting Napoleon, and the British Expeditionary Force, which had been ordered not to advance upon Baltimore unless Fort McHenry fell, marched down to New Orleans instead, where they were taught (not for the first time, I’m afraid) that pike tactics don’t work against entrenched rifles.
(To be fair; they didn’t “run”. That’s just a pop song.)
JP Steve Premium Member over 8 years ago
But the name had unexpected benefits in WWII — when German spies learned that Roosevelt and Churchill were to meet in Casablanca the Wehrmacht assumed the "white house’ in question was in Washington!
kf6rro over 4 years ago
How about we turn the white house into a museum and make the president live in a studio apartment like everyone else?