Who Was The First U.S President To Live In The White House?

The First President To Live In The White House? Photo: White House

The official workplace and the residence of the US president is the White House, which is located on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. Who was the first President to reside in the White House?

Who Was The First President To Live In The White House?

The White House has been the residence of all the US presidents since John Adams in 1800 who was the second President of the nation.

John Adams Biography

Photo Havard Magazine

Born on October 30, 1735, on their family farm in Braintree, Massachusetts (now Quincy), President John Adams was the son of John Adams Senior and Susanna Boylston Adams.

In addition to being the town's selectman and tax collector, church elder, and militia lieutenant, his father's primary occupation was farming.

Peter and Elihu, Adams' two younger brothers, were also alive. According to his autobiography, he did not enjoy studying when he was younger.

He started hunting before he got home and carried firearms to school because he loved to hunt. It was his father, who had observed his exceptional intelligence, who persuaded and motivated him to focus on his studies.

During the 1765 flu pandemic that swept the nation, his father passed away. Adams, then 20 years old, graduated from Harvard Law School in 1755 after being granted a scholarship.

In the office of James Putnam, he pursued his master's degree, which he completed in 1758.

Following his retirement, he moved to his farm in Quincy, where he raised six children and his wife Abigail until his passing on July 4, 1826, the day of the country's 50th anniversary of independence.

Following nearly a decade of diplomatic postings throughout Europe, Adams returned home to witness the inaugural presidential election. He was listed next to George Washington, who was predicted to win by receiving more votes.

The runners-up had to become vice presidents at the time per the requirements of the constitution. In the 1792 election, he was defeated by George Washington once more; however, during this period, he gained enough popularity to defeat Thomas Jefferson in the 1796 election.

Between 1792 and 1800, work on the White House was completed. The president's official residence at the time of his election was located in Philadelphia at 190 High Street. On November 1, 1800, John Adams moved into the White House, becoming the first president to do so.

Due to his involvement in the American involvement in the British and French war while in office, he lost support and the 1800 election to Thomas Jefferson. On March 4, 1801, John Adams moved out of the White House.

READ MORE: Who Are The First Ladies In The United States: Full List and Little-Known Facts

Why didn't the first president reside in the White House?

George Washington, the nation's first president, selected the site for the White House's construction in 1971.

He gave the builders the go-ahead to place the cornerstone in 1972.

President Washington personally selected the architect who would oversee the building's construction in that same year.

James Hoban, the architect, was an Irishman by birth.

George Washington was not given the chance to reside in the White House because it was still under construction. He is the only president who has never resided in the White House as a result.

But even though the building was still under construction, President John Adams and his wife moved into the White House in 1800, eight years after the cornerstone was placed in the building in 1972.

READ MORE: Which US Presidents Were Never Elected?

How Many Rooms Are in the White House?

Photo President Mirror

The six-story White House is 55,000 square feet and has 35 bathrooms and 132 rooms, 16 of which are family guest rooms. The White House website lists 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, 3 elevators, 412 doors, and 147 windows among its many architectural features. It also boasts a kitchen that can prepare a full dinner for up to 140 guests or hors d'oeuvres for more than 1,000 guests. And when every four to six years it receives a fresh coat of paint? To cover the outside, 570 gallons are needed.

Does the US President Have to Live in the White House?

Presidents of the United States may not have declined to live in the White House, but governors across the nation have retreated from residing in governor's mansions for a variety of reasons (mostly because it's not truly a home). Several chief executives, including Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, do not reside in their state's mansion. More than fifty years had passed since the former governor of California, Jerry Brown, moved into the Governor's Mansion in that state in 2017. A few states without even an executive home are Massachusetts, Idaho, Arizona, and Rhode Island.

Photo Getty

However, for more than 200 years, the White House has served as the residence of the president in office. Whoever assumes office does not always move into the President's Palace (a one-time name). However, since Adams first stepped through the door in 1800, the person who assumes office eventually resides there.

"Often presidents are not there in the first few weeks of their terms if they succeeded a president who died in office," Treese stated. "For example, [Theodore] Roosevelt did not take office immediately following the assassination of William McKinley. Following the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Truman did not move in immediately. Neither did the Johnsons [following the assassination of John F. Kennedy]. Neither did Andrew Johnson [following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln]. They allow a brief grace period for the first family to depart."

White House and US Presidents

White House has become a familiar place with US President. Most of them regarded it as home. Check out stories and memories of US Presidents and White House

John F. Kennedy's family later reflected on how much he enjoyed the gardens surrounding the White House.

"Jack took both pride and interest in the rose garden. He wanted to know the varieties. He had ideas about the juxtaposition of colors, and if there were yellow leaves or other signs of distress he wanted to know what ought to be done and who would take care of it," Rose Kennedy wrote in "Times to Remember."

"I must say I was a bit surprised, for I had never heard nor seen him demonstrate any interest in horticulture at home."

President Harry S. Truman referred to the White House as a "glamorous prison."

While security in the White House is undeniably top-notch, and presidents never leave without a full security detail, that didn't mean Truman wouldn't put his own touches on his own personal "prison."

In March 1948, Truman replaced the original awnings overlooking the south lawn with a balcony.

"I'd like to take better advantage of the view. I'm going to put a balcony there," the president reportedly said of the renovation.

Nancy Reagan said living in the White House was like living in a fancy hotel.

"Every evening, while I took a bath, one of the maids would come by and remove my clothes for laundering or dry cleaning. The bed would always be turned down. Five minutes after Ronnie came home and hung up his suit, it would disappear from the closet to be pressed, cleaned, or brushed," the former first lady wrote in her memoir "My Turn."

"No wonder Ron used to call the White House an eight-star hotel," she continued.

President Obama made time for family dinners while his family lived in the White House.

"When we're in town here in Washington, in the evenings, 6:30 we want to be at the dinner table with our kids and I want to be helping with the homework," he said, according to the Obama Foundation.

However, President Obama also described the lacking Wi-Fi in the giant house and the many "dead spots" that "frustrated" his two daughters.

President Trump described the lavish renovations he made to the dining room of the White House.

"We found gold behind the walls, which I always knew. Renovations are grand," he told Time.

Trump also added a crystal chandelier to the room, joking, "I made a contribution to the White House."

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