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Additional Stories That Didn’t Make It Into the Book… But Are Every Bit as Wonderful and/or Weird!

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Visit secretdcbook.com to discover additional surprises, secrets, and sordid stories about our nation’s capital and its surrounding area.

WHY WAS THE WHITE HOUSE ALMOST RELOCATED TO A NEIGHBORHOOD ACROSS THE CITY?

            1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW has become one of the most recognizable and sought-after addresses in all of the United States. This infamous address has been the site of the president’s private residence since 1800, when President John Adams and First Lady Abigail moved in. Decades later, however, the fate of the White House’s location was at risk when Congress seriously considered relocating it across the city.

            In 1865, many believed that the location of the White House was unhealthy and unsanitary in the summer.  The White House’s close proximity to the malodorous Washington City Canal (Tiber Creek) that ran through downtown and deposited into the Potomac River and swampy area caused many to wonder if the president’s mansion should indeed be relocated elsewhere. The proposed move would have relocated the Executive Mansion across the city to a large section of land that is now home to Catholic University, located in the Brookland neighborhood.  City officials were focusing their attention on the northeast neighborhood and even considered putting in an offer to acquire the land. Plans were put to a halt, however, once Ulysses S. Grant was elected, and no further action was pursued.

            No-one will ever know if the White House would have been moved, if it would have remained white, or if its new address would have been as indelible as it is today. Over two centuries have passed since it has been first occupied, and it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere else anytime soon.

ADDITIONAL THINGS TO KNOW:

Where: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Cost: White House tours are free to the public and require advance reservations (check their website for Covid-related changes/restrictions).

Pro Tip: The only president to never live in the White House is George Washington. While Washington was responsible for commissioning its construction, he died before it was completed.

Thing to Note: The White House wasn’t officially named until 1901, when President Theodore Roosevelt decided to change its name from the “Executive Residence.”