Teddy Roosevelt Names the White House
On this day October 12th in 1901, 109 years ago today, President Theodore Roosevelt renamed the President's official residence from "The Executive Mansion" to it's current monicker of "the White House."
Because of crowding within the executive mansion itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901.He established the formal name by having "White House–Washington" engraved on the stationery. Roosevelt and his family moved in to the White House and hired the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White to carry out renovations and expansion, including the addition of a West Wing. Included in the renovations ordered by President Roosevelt, he had the following prayer, taken from a letter sent by John Adams to his wife Abigail, carved into the mantle in the state dining room:
"I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this House, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."
Because of crowding within the executive mansion itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901.He established the formal name by having "White House–Washington" engraved on the stationery. Roosevelt and his family moved in to the White House and hired the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White to carry out renovations and expansion, including the addition of a West Wing. Included in the renovations ordered by President Roosevelt, he had the following prayer, taken from a letter sent by John Adams to his wife Abigail, carved into the mantle in the state dining room:
"I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this House, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."