Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. Doug Johnson. And I'm Barbara Klein. In the nited States!

the third "onda# in $ebruar# is a %ederal holida#. $ederal la&calls it Washington's Birthda#! honoring the nation's %irst president. But Americans no& commonl# 'no& it as (residents Da#. And %or this (residents Da#! or Washington's Birthda#! &e tell #ou about the presidents' home! the White )ouse.*eorge Washington super+ised the building o% the White )ouse. ,et he and his &i%e! "artha! ne+er had the chance to li+e there. It &as completed a%ter he le%t o%%ice in -./.. Since then! America has had 01 other presidents. All o% them ha+e li+ed at -233 (enns#l+ania A+enue 4orth&est! in Washington! D.5. *eorge W. Bush and his &i%e! 6aura! ha+e li+ed there since 133-. 7his 4o+ember! Americans &ill elect a ne& president. 7he ne& %irst %amil# &ill meet &ith White )ouse emplo#ees a%ter the election to plan %or the mo+e. 7hen the %amil# &ill mo+e in on Januar# 13! 133/ 88 Inauguration Da#. 7he White )ouse has an East Wing and a West Wing. 7he O+al O%%ice! the large round room &here the president &or's! is in the West Wing. 7he %irst %amil# li+es in the East Wing. 7he o%%icial home o% the +ice president is on the grounds o% the 4a+al Obser+ator# in Washington. 7he White )ouse has more than -93 rooms. It also has collections o% more than 03!333 ob:ects. (residential %amilies o%ten %ind things in storage that the# li'e &hen the# mo+e in. $or e;ample! Jimm# 5arter's children %ound a chair that "ar# 7odd 6incoln! the &i%e o% (resident Abraham 6incoln! had bought. $irst ladies ha+e all added to the White )ouse in some &a#. Jac<ueline Kenned#! %or e;ample! created a color%ul garden that is named in her honor.*eorge Washington entered o%%ice in -.=/. )e had great hopes %or the house he started. In -./3! he signed an act o% 5ongress to create an area %or the %ederal go+ernment in the District o% 5olumbia! along the (otomac >i+er. (resident Washington and the $rench cit# planner (ierre 6'En%ant chose the land %or the ne& presidential home. A competition too' place to %ind a designer. An architect named James )oban entered a design similar to &here the Irish (arliament meets! 6einster )ouse in Dublin. )oban &as %rom Ireland. )e &on ?33 dollars and a piece o% land %or his &inning design. *ra#ish &hite sandstone &as chosen %or the &alls. Wor' started in -./1! &hile *eorge Washington li+ed in (hiladelphia. America's second president &as John Adams. )e and his &i%e! Abigail! &ere the %irst to li+e in the ne& home. 7he# mo+ed in on 4o+ember -! -=33. 7he house &as not #et %inished. John and Abigail Adams li+ed in si; rooms and used others to entertain guests. But the# li+ed there %or onl# %our months. John Adams lost re8election to 7homas Je%%erson. Je%%erson tried to %inish &or' on the home. So did the ne;t president! James "adison. But in -=-0! British %orces in+aded Washington. 7he# burned the White )ouse. (resident "adison's &i%e! Doll#! tried to sa+e +aluable ob:ects %rom the %ire as she %led. She rescued a painting o% *eorge Washington. 7his %amous portrait b# *ilbert Stuart hangs in the White )ouse to this da#. A%ter the %ire! James )oban helped rebuild the house he had designed. During this time! it &as painted &hite. O+er the #ears! the White )ouse has been enlarged and almost totall# rebuilt. One o% the most recent pro:ects &as completed in Jul# o% 133.. Wor'ers made about eight

million dollars in impro+ements to the press brie%ing room. 7he &or' included a better loo' %or tele+ision! ne& electrical s#stem! better air conditioning and more com%ortable seats. Some o% the old ones &ere bro'en. 4e&s organi@ations paid %or part o% the cost o% the &or'. >eporters mo+ed to temporar# o%%ices across the street %rom the White )ouse &hile the press room &as closed %or almost a #ear. 7he room is named in honor o% %ormer White )ouse press secretar# James Brad#. )e and (resident >onald >eagan &ere shot and &ounded b# a man &ith mental problems outside a Washington hotel in -/=-. 7he press brie%ing room is built o+er $ran'lin >oose+elt's old s&imming pool. (olio disabled his legs! but (resident >oose+elt still s&am. 7he pool &as built in -/99. >oose+elt &as president %rom -/99 to -/0?. 7he 91nd president led the nation through the end o% the great economic depression and most o% World War 7&o. )e &as elected %our times! more than an# other president. )e died in o%%ice. 7oda#! the 7&ent#8second Amendment to the 5onstitution limits a person to being elected president t&[Link] -/2-! 5ongress decided that %urniture o% historic and artistic +alue &ould al&a#s be White )ouse propert#. In e%%ect! 5ongress made the White )ouse a museum. As +isitors enter the White )ouse! the# see pictures o% past presidents on the &alls. In another hall on the same %loor are paintings o% %irst ladies. A room o%% this hall&a# contains a collection o% %ine dishes. Each presidenc# has added to this collection. Wide marble steps lead to the ne;t %loor. It is called the State $loor. (residents use rooms here %or o%%icial duties and to entertain guests. 7he largest room on the State $loor is the East >oom. 4e&s con%erences and music per%ormances ta'e place here. But this room has had other uses o+er the #ears. Abigail Adams hung her %amil#'s clothes to dr# %rom the &ash. 5aroline Kenned#! the daughter o% the 9?th president! John $. Kenned#! rode her tric#cle in the East >oom. Other rooms on the State $loor are named %or their colorsA the Blue >oom! the *reen >oom and the >ed >oom. 7he president meets &ith diplomats and other guests in these rooms. 7he# are also used %or special e+ents. 7he 11nd president! *ro+er 5le+eland! married $rances $olsom in the Blue >oom in -==2. 7he *reen >oom held the bod# o% (resident Abraham 6incoln's son Willie! &ho died in -=21. And the nineteenth president! >uther%ord )a#es! too' his oath o% o%%ice in the >ed >oom in -=.. %ollo&ing a disputed election. 4earb# is the State Dining >oom! &here big e+ents ta'e place! li'e o%%icial dinners %or +isiting leaders. 7he 7reat# >oom on the second %loor is used %or meetings. Important documents ha+e been signed there. At di%%erent times! this &as the cabinet room or the president's o%%ice.7he ne;t %loor o% the White )ouse contains bedrooms %or guests. One o% these is the 6incoln Bedroom! named %or the si;teenth president. But Abraham 6incoln ne+er slept there. 6incoln used the room as an o%%ice &hile he led the countr# through the 5i+il War in the -=2/s. (resident 6incoln &as murdered da#s a%ter the &ar ended &ith the surrender o% >obert E. 6ee! the Southern general. John Wil'es Booth! a stage actor and supporter o% the South! shot 6incoln at $ord's 7heatre! not %ar %rom the White )ouse. O+er the #ears! presidents and other people ha+e reported seeing 6incoln's ghost or

%eeling his presence in the White )ouse. 6ong gone are the da#s &hen people could simpl# &al' into the White )ouse. In %act! the White )ouse &as closed to +isitors temporaril# a%ter the terrorist attac's o% September ele+enth! 133-. In%ormation about public tours can be %ound at &[Link]+. 7ours are a+ailable %or groups o% ten or more people. >e<uests %or these sel%8guided tours must be made through a member o% 5ongress. A limited number o% tours are a+ailable. (eople can also see inside the White )ouse through +irtual tours at &[Link]+.Our program &as &ritten b# Jeril#n Watson and 4anc# Steinbach and produced b# 5at# Wea+er. I'm Doug Johnson. And I'm Barbara Klein. 7ranscripts and "(9s o% our programs are on the Web at +[Link]. Join us again ne;t &ee' %or THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.