History of an
American Treasure
by Harley Berger, Vice-President
For over two hundred years, the White House has
stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States government, and the
American people. Its history, and the history of the nation’s capital,
began when President George Washington signed an Act of Congress in
December of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a
district "not exceeding ten miles square…on the river Potomac."
The White House, or "President's House" as it
was originally known, was the largest home in the country until the Civil
War, and has a unique and colorful history. It has survived two fires, one
set by the British during the war of 1812, which completely gutted the
structure, and another in 1929 in the West Wing. In 1829, a horde of
20,000 Inaugural callers forced President Andrew Jackson to flee to the
safety of a hotel while, on the lawn, aides filled washtubs with orange
juice and whiskey to lure the mob out of the mud-tracked White House.
Harry Truman referred to it as "a glamorous prison."
Want to learn more about the unique place in
American life that the White House holds as a home, office, museum and
symbol? Join us on Saturday, August 21, when our guest will be
Architectural Historian and life-long student of the American Presidency,
Wayne Waltrip, of the Automotive Hall of Fame Museum in Dearborn at the
Henry Ford Complex.
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