This black and white film tells the history of the Executive Mansion of the United States, the White House, and was likely made in the early 1960’s. Starting with its construction in 1800, we’re lead through some of the highlights of the Presidents and their families who lived there up through the 35th President, John F. Kennedy. Though bookended with footage of Washington D.C. and the White House interior, the majority (beginning at 03:33) the majority of this film is composed of still images of paintings, drawings, and photographs. Written by Amy L. Jansen, narrated by Phil Tonken, music by Filmsounds, Inc. A Jensen Production, Sterling Educational Film Release.

The White House is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every US president since John Adams in 1800. The residence was designed by Irish-born architect James Hoban in the neoclassical style and construction began in 1792. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the mansion was set ablaze by the British Army in the Burning of Washington, destroying the interior and charring much of the exterior. Reconstruction began almost immediately, and President James Monroe moved into the partially reconstructed Executive Residence in October 1817. Because of crowding within the Executive Mansion itself, President Theodore Roosevelt had all work offices relocated to the newly constructed West Wing in 1901. By 1948, the residence’s load-bearing exterior walls and internal wood beams were found to be close to failure. Under Harry S. Truman, the interior rooms were completely dismantled and a new internal load-bearing steel frame constructed inside the walls. Once the structural work was completed, the interior rooms were rebuilt. The modern-day White House complex includes the Executive Residence, West Wing, East Wing, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and Blair House, a guest residence.

00:09 The White House and Ellipse as viewed from the Washington Monument 00:35 TITLE SCREEN as camera pans left (West); Department of the Interior Building, Main Navy and Munitions Buildings, Potomac River, Reflecting Pool, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Memorial Bridge 01:00 Pan continues; Tidal Basin, Jefferson Memorial, Rochambeau Memorial Bridge, Bureau of Engraving and Printing 01:22 Pan continues; Department of Agriculture Building, Smithsonian Castle, Capitol Building, National Museum of Natural History, National Gallery of Art 01:41 Capitol Building, dome under renovation 01:54 Lafayette Square; people stroll, children feed pigeons 02:24 General Andrew Jackson Statue, White House as viewed from statue 02:49 North Lawn fountain, North Portico entrance 03:05 Cabinet Room and the President’s chair with plaque: “THE PRESIDENT – JAN. 20, 1953” 03:24 Camera zooms in on portrait of George Washington 03:33 STILL IMAGES BEGIN: Early presidential homes, submitted Executive Mansion plans, John Adams 06:08 Thomas Jefferson, White House improvements, James Madison 07:07 Burning of Washington, White House on August 24, 1814 08:51 White House rebuilds, South Portico added 10:14 Andrew Jackson 11:58 William Henry Harrison 12:30 James Buchanan 13:38 Abraham Lincoln 16:46 Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant 19:31 Rutherford B. Hayes 20:52 James A. Garfield 24:37 Grover Cleveland, White House expansion drawings and models 25:35 Photographic tour of White House interior circa 1895, William McKinley 31:04 Theodore Roosevelt, greenhouses removed, West Wing constructed 32:18 William Howard Taft 33:09 Woodrow Wilson 35:28 Warren G. Harding 36:51 Calvin Coolidge 38:17 Herbert Hoover, West Wing Christmas Eve fire of 1929 38:42 Franklin Delano Roosevelt 40:39 Harry S. Truman, White House Reconstruction (1949-1952) 43:04 Dwight D. Eisenhower 44:31 John F. Kennedy 46:49 CREDITS