Random Things You Didn't Know About the White House (14 items)

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  (#1) In The 19th Century, Members Of The Public Could Just Wander Into The White House And Meet The President

  As the "People's House" and in the spirit of democratic inclusion, the White House was initially open to public access. During the Thomas Jefferson years, for example, the public often picknicked on the White House grounds and the president encouraged them to wander around inside the building. Zachary Taylor even welcomed anyone into his office who wanted to see him, even if it was just to meet the president. 

  By the late 19th century, stricter measures were gradually put in place to close the White House grounds at certain times and erect new fencing around the property. During World War II, the Secret Service further tightened security around the White House, a tradition that continues into the 21st century.
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  (#2) It Didn't Have Running Water Until 1833

  The White House didn't get running water until 1833. At first, it supplied drinking water and pools that could be used to put out fires. The White House sourced its water from the Potomac, and this would become a health issue: Abraham Lincoln's 11-year-old son Willie succumbed to typhoid, likely after drinking contaminated water from the river. Similarly, William Henry Harrison may have passed after consuming unclean water.

  Running water seems to have been limited to the first floor of the building at first. The White House had to wait another 20 years for its second floor to get running water. Thanks to Franklin Pierce, these additions included hot water.
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  (#3) Presidential Ghosts Are Said To Haunt The Place

  The White House has stood for more than two centuries and has seen more than its fair share of tragedies. So it's not surprising that the building is said to be haunted by a variety of ghosts. 

  Among the specters that supposedly haunt the White House are presidential ghosts. Illustrious residents and guests like First Lady Grace Coolidge and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands all claimed that they encountered Abraham Lincoln's ghost. The ghosts of Harry Truman and Andrew Jackson are also believed to haunt the White House.
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  (#4) Barack Obama Became The First Brewer-In-Chief

  Barack Obama apparently became the first brewer-president when he and his team created White House Honey Ale and Honey Porter. To produce the beer, Obama's brewers used honey that was sourced from White House grounds.

  No other president may have brewed beer at the White House before Obama, but that doesn't mean he's the only Commander-in-Chief who likes creating his own alcohol. George Washington's enslaved workers brewed beer for him at Mount Vernon, as did Thomas Jefferson's at Monticello.
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  (#5) Presidents Left Their Own Mark On The White House Based On Their Unique Tastes

  As a residence for an ever-changing parade of families, the White House has been the home to numerous presidents with a variety of tastes and needs. Presidents thus usually renovate the estate to accommodate their interests. 

  For example, Ulysses S. Grant used a room for billiards. Dwight D. Eisenhower, who golfed 800 times while president, had a putting green added in 1954. Similarly, the athletic Theodore Roosevelt added a tennis court to the White House grounds in 1902. Though Roosevelt was an enthusiastic player, he was cautious about the public seeing him play tennis, due to the sport's high-brow association. He once wrote:

  You never saw a photograph of me playing tennis. I'm careful about that. Photographs on horseback, yes. Tennis, no.

  But not every addition was related to sports. Franklin Delano Roosevelt transformed a cloakroom into a movie theater in 1942, and the Clintons added a music room to the White House.
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  (#6) The White House Almost Became The Camo House During World War II

  After the United States entered World War II in December 1941, the Secret Service made changes to the White House in the interest of wartime security. To that end, the Secret Service banned visits from the general public and increased the presence of guards around the property.

  Though President Franklin Delano Roosevelt went along with these changes, he dismissed other suggestions. For example, some officials wanted to replace the White House's eponymous color to camouflage the building, but Roosevelt vetoed the idea. As one agent pointed out:

  No camouflage of the White House is practical while the confluence of th[e Potomac and Anacostia] rivers remains a mile from the mansion. A pilot would find it quite simple to hit the White House by flying up either river and getting his 'fix' at the confluence.
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  (#7) The White House Was Built And Staffed By Enslaved Workers

  The White House was built over the course of the 1790s - well over half-a-century before slavery would be abolished nationally. Thus, the roll of laborers building the White House included enslaved workers. At least five enslaved men labored as carpenters on the White House construction project: Tom, Daniel, Harry, Peter, and Ben, who were unpaid and often worked seven days a week. 

  Enslaved workers were also employed inside the White House. Many of the pre-Civil War presidents were slave-owners and brought their enslaved workers to the White House as domestic staff. Thomas Jefferson was the first president to move his enslaved staff into the White House.
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  (#8) Many Exotic Pets Have Called The White House Home

  Common pets like cats and dogs - such as the Coolidges' collie Rob Roy or the Clintons' cat Socks - have lived at the White House. But exotic animals have called the building home as well. The Coolidges treated a raccoon called Rebecca just as they would any other pet, complete with baths and games.

  Other non-traditional pets at the White House include possums, alligators, and even tiger cubs. Some of these animals were gifts from Americans or foreign dignitaries. 
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  (#9) When Electricity Was First Installed, The President And First Lady Were Afraid To Use It

  Benjamin Harrison was president when the White House got electricity in 1891. Since electric light bulbs were still a new, expensive innovation, the Harrisons had the privilege of utilizing a technology that few Americans would have been able to afford. 

  But they seemed to have viewed their new electric system with alarm rather than enthusiasm. According to White House historian Betty C. Monkman:

  President and Mrs. Harrison refused to operate the switches because they feared being shocked and left the operation of the electric lights to the domestic staff.

  Since gas was still the primary source of energy throughout the White House, their reticence didn't plunge them in darkness. 
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  (#10) It Was In Such A State Of Disrepair That A Bathtub Almost Crashed Through The Ceiling In 1949 

  Built at the turn of the 19th century, the White House - like any old building - requires up-keep. Harry Truman found that out the hard way in 1945 when he became the White House's newest resident. The building was in such a shocking state of disrepair that Truman nearly crashed through the ceiling while he was taking a bath.

  This close call led to Truman's 1949 reconstruction of the crumbling White House. Truman's renovation included gutting and restructuring the building. By the time it was complete, $54 million had been poured into what was the most extensive renovation of the White House ever.
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  (#11) It Was Once The Largest House In The Nation

  When the White House was move-in ready in 1800, it cost $232,372 to build and became the biggest home in the country. The White House would hold onto this title until the middle of the 19th century, when increasingly grander and more opulent private residences were constructed, financed by industrial wealth.

  Thomas Jefferson never got accustomed to the size of the building. He once grumbled that the White House was "big enough for two emperors, one pope and the grand lama."
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  (#12) The White House Has Its Own Resident Calligraphers

  The White House hosts a large number of events each year, ranging from formal state dinners to informal parties on the lawn. To help prepare for these events, the White House relies on a staff of calligraphers, a tradition that dates back to the Lincoln administration. Their sole job is to produce the lettering for items like invitations and hand-written menus. 

  Due to the secretive nature of some of the information they handle, the lead calligrapher actually has a higher security clearance than other White House staff. 

   
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  (#13) The White House Almost Didn't Exist

  Before the young federal government headquartered itself in Washington, DC - as stipulated by the Residence Act of 1790 - it ran the country first from New York City and then Philadelphia. Each city constructed buildings that were meant to house the president. 

  While in Philadelphia, George Washington and his second-in-command John Adams stayed at the so-called President's House. But their tenure in this mansion was temporary as they awaited the development of Washington.

  Philadelphia understandably didn't want to see the federal government leave. So the city and state pulled out all the stops to try and convince the president to stay put. Among the perks it dangled to woo the government to remain in Philadelphia: a huge mansion. Pennsylvania offered the building as a residence for the new president John Adams, but he declined due to his "great doubts whether by a candid constructions of the Constitution of the United States I am at liberty to accept it without the intervention and authority of Congress."

  Had Adams agreed to move in, there may have been no need for the White House.
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  (#14) Andrew Jackson Once Hosted A Snowball Fight Inside The White House

  Andrew Jackson may be remembered for his fiery temper and troubling beliefs, but he was also the host of a legendary party at the White House. For Christmas 1835, he hosted the so-called "children's frolic," which was a chance for young people to celebrate the holiday.

  The party didn't just feature the standard dances and games. Children at the party were also treated to an indoor snowball fight, with giant cotton balls replacing actual snow.

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