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A Vision Takes Form
The White House Under Construction, 1796
Although he never lived there, President George Washington not only selected the site of the new President's House, but also oversaw its construction to his particular specifications and demands. He was adamant that it be grand, with a façade of stone, not brick. Designed by the Irish-born architect James Hoban, the mansion was built with the labor of slaves, freemen, Irish artisans, and Scottish stone masons, whose marks can still be found on the White House today. |