The Executive Residence is the central building of the White House complex located between the East Wing and West Wing. It is the most recognizable part of the complex, being the actual "house" part of the White House. This central building, first constructed from 1792 to 1800, is home to the president of the United States and the first family. The Executive Residence primarily occupies four floors: the ground floor, the state floor, the second floor, and the third floor. A sub-basement with a mezzanine, created during the 1948–1952 Truman reconstruction, is used for HVAC and mechanical systems, storage, and service areas.
North facade of the White House Executive Residence
The Diplomatic Reception Room on the ground floor of the White House
The East Room after its last redecoration in 1995
The Green Room in 1999
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 when the national capital was moved from Philadelphia. The term "White House" is often used as a figure of speech for the president and his advisers.
Top: the Executive Residence's northern facade with a columned portico facing the North Lawn and Lafayette Square Bottom: the Executive Residence's southern facade with a semi-circular portico facing the South Lawn and The Ellipse
Aerial view of the White House complex, including Pennsylvania Avenue (closed to traffic) in the foreground, the Executive Residence and North Portico (center), the East Wing (left), and the West Wing and the Oval Office at its southeast corner.
The first presidential mansion, Samuel Osgood House in Manhattan, occupied by Washington from April 1789 – February 1790
The second presidential mansion, Alexander Macomb House, in Manhattan, occupied by Washington from February–August 1790
