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Why is the White House white? When the exterior of the President’s House was completed in 1798, a lime-based whitewash was applied and reapplied until, by the War of 1812, some people began referring to the Executive Mansion as the White House. After the burning of the White House by the British in 1814, some of the damaged walls were removed and replaced with new sandstone, and, in 1818, a white lead paint made the new and original stone a uniform color. The “White House” came into popular use, and, in 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt made the name official. Today, it reportedly takes 570 gallons of Duron’s “Whisper White” to give the White House a fresh coat of paint. Credit: Photograph by Bruce White / White House Historical Association #whitehouse #history #presidentshouse #peopleshouse #executivemansion #white #paint #whitepaint #whitewash #sandstone #exterior #exteriorpainting #exteriorpaint #painting #whisperwhite #freshpaint

A post shared by White House Historical Assoc. (@whitehousehistory) on Aug 5, 2019 at 8:42am PDT