Collection The Kennedy Rose Garden
It is hard to imagine that it was something as casual as a lunch conversation between a newly elected president...
1870 map of the Ellipse
1870 map of the Ellipse
A series of maps dated 1851, 1857 and 1870 in the Library of Congress shows the evolution of the buildings, roadways, paths and design of the area known first as the “parade,” later as the Ellipse. This map is from 1870. The buildings on either side of the White House gradually increased in size while Downing’s circular parade became an oval ellipse.
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Collection White House Easter Egg Roll
Since 1878, American presidents and their families have celebrated Easter Monday by hosting an "egg roll" party. Held on the South...
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Collection White House in Bloom
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Collection Cherry Blossoms
Since the first cherry blossom planting in 1912 by First Lady Helen Herron Taft, Washingtonians have celebrated the scenic beauty and...
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White House Ghost Stories
1862-1863: Mary Todd Lincoln, grieving over her son Willies death in February, began to participate in spirit circles or seances...
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The Electric Career of Ike Hoover
A group of physicians and surgeons meeting in Washington 1891 was treated to a reception at the White House on the...
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Steve Vasilakes, the White House's Peanut Man
Nicholas Stefanos “Steve” Vasilakes emigrated from Ligerea, Greece, to the United States in 1910 and soon thereafter set up his hot pean...
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Fall Foliage at the White House
Throughout the history of the White House and the grounds surrounding it, visitors have commented on the trees and foliage...
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A History of White House Flowers and Florists
April showers might bring May flowers, but White House florists keep the Executive Mansion in bloom year-round. Today the White...
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Hoover Easter Egg Rolls
The annual White House Easter egg roll was a well-established tradition when President Herbert Hoover took office, and the Hoovers...
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Lady Bird Johnson's Floral Legacy
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"A Beautiful Spot Capable of Every Improvement"
The history of the white house grounds begins nearly two centuries before the construction of the house itself. Sailing up...
