ln Washington, D.C., 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a very special lt is the address of the White House, the home of the of the United States.
Originally the White House was gray and was called the Presidential . lt was built from 7792 to 1800. At this time, the city of Washington itself was
being built. lt was to be the nation's new city. George Washington, the first president, and Pierre-Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer, chose the place
for the new city. L'Enfant then planned the city. The president's home was an important part of the plan.
A contest was held to pick a design architect named James Hoban won. He designed a large three-story house of gray stone.
President never lived in the presidential palace. The first people to live there were John Adams, the president of the United states, and his wife, Abigail. Abigail Adams did not really like her new house. ln her letters, she often complained about the . Fifty fireplaces were not enough to keep the house warm!
ln 1872 the United states and went to war. ln 1014 the British invaded Washington. They many buildings, including the Presidential Palace.
After the war Hoban, the original architect, partially rebuilt the president's home. To cover the marks of the fire, the building was painted . Before long it became known as the White House,
The is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States. Every year more than 1.5 million go through the five rooms that are open to the public.
