Presented by the White House Historical Association
White House Builder James Hoban’s Irish Roots
- Host
- Stewart McLaurin
- Guest
- Laurie Grace, Chairman of the James Hoban Society of Ireland; Brother Christy O’Carroll, Congregation of Christian Brothers; Ciarán O’Connor, State Architect of Ireland; Merlo Kelly, Senior Architect, Lotts Architecture & Urbanism; Brian O’Connell, Director and Founder of O’Connell Mahon Architects and a contributor to the book James Hoban: Designer and Builder of the White House
- Date
- 10/11/22
- Duration
- 23 minutes
Over 200 years ago, James Hoban left Ireland for America to pursue his dream of becoming an architect. Selected by President George Washington to design and build the President’s House, Hoban would go on to create one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in the world. What is now known as the White House started to come to life when its cornerstone was laid on October 13, 1792. In this episode of the White House 1600 Sessions, join Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, as he travels to Hoban’s birthplace and retraces the young Irishman’s journey from County Kilkenny to Dublin, and discovers the architectural styles and designs that influenced Hoban before he set sail across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World.
Want to learn more about the White House architect? Get our book James Hoban: Designer and Builder of the White House.
Episodes
-
A Coronation Preview with the British Ambassador to the U.S.
Featuring Dame Karen Pierce, the British Ambassador to the United States
-
250 Years of American Political Leadership
Featuring Iain Dale, award-winning British author and radio and podcast host
-
Becoming FDR: The Personal Crisis That Made a President
Featuring Jonathan Darman, author of “Becoming FDR: The Personal Crisis That Made a President"
-
Dinner with the President
Featuring Alex Prud’homme, bestselling author and great-nephew of cooking legend Julia Child
-
Jacqueline Kennedy: Art in Cultural Diplomacy
Featuring His Excellency, Philippe Étienne, Ambassador of France to the United States; Bénédicte de Montlaur, President and CEO of the World Monuments Fund; and Kaywin Feldman, Director of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
-
Jacqueline Kennedy: Restoring the White House
Featuring Elaine Rice Bachmann, curator of “Jacqueline Kennedy and H. F. du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House”
-
David Rubenstein on Patriotic Philanthropy
Featuring David Rubenstein, Author and Patriotic Philanthropist
President of the White House Historical Association
As President of the White House Historical Association Stewart McLaurin leads the nonpartisan, nonprofit in its mission to preserve, protect, and provide access to White House history. As a lifelong student of history, Stewart is an avid reader and storyteller. His first book, White House Miscellany was published this past year and he authors a quarterly column in the White House History Journal. Drawing on his own experiences, relationships, and knowledge he provides listeners with a front row seat to history at the White House.