Hidden stories
The secret WWII project hidden beneath the White House
Image: Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Did you know the White House wasn’t originally meant to be white? Or that hidden underground spaces were built beneath it? For more than 200 years, we have seen the White House in movies, on the news, in family photo albums from Washington trips, and during some of the biggest moments in our country’s history. But behind those famous walls are stories most have never heard. From fires and secret construction projects to strange traditions and forgotten moments, these are 10 surprising White House stories that most of us were never taught in school.
1
It was almost completely torn down
Did you know that very little of today’s White House interior is actually original? Looking at the building now, it’s hard to imagine that it was once so unstable that it was in danger of collapsing.
By 1948, after decades of heavy use, outdated wiring, poor structural supports, and years of renovations layered over one another, the White House had become unsafe. Floors and walls cracked, and parts of the residence were literally sinking. President Harry S. Truman even joked that the place felt haunted because it made so many strange noises. Rather than abandon it, Truman launched a massive reconstruction project with Congress. Between 1948 and 1952, nearly the entire interior was gutted and rebuilt while the original exterior walls were preserved, giving America a strong and reliable White House.
2
During WWII, they built an underground bunker
Did you know there’s a fortified bunker hidden beneath the White House? A couple of years before Truman’s famous renovation, another major project was quietly built beneath the presidential residence.
In 1942, during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the construction of a secure underground shelter to protect government leaders in case Washington, D.C., came under attack. Built quickly and in great secrecy, the bunker was completed within months, though it was luckily never needed during the war. Today, the facility is known as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, or PEOC, and it was famously used in 2001 by President George W. Bush and again in 2020 by Donald Trump.
3
It was not originally meant to be white
Can you imagine if it were called "the Gray House"? Today, it’s impossible to picture America’s most famous home as anything other than bright white, but that wasn’t the original idea.
During construction in the 1790s, workers covered the exterior sandstone with a lime-based whitewash to protect it from moisture, cracking, and harsh winter weather. The coating gave the building a pale grayish appearance, not the brilliant white we recognize today. A long-standing myth claims the White House was painted white to hide the burn marks left after British troops set it on fire in 1814, but in reality, the building had already been whitewashed years earlier. Still, after the fire and reconstruction, the white exterior became permanent and eventually inspired the famous name "White House," though for many years people still called it the "President’s House."
4
10 people have died in the White House
Many people have lived and worked in the White House over the centuries, but, according to the White House Historical Association, only 10 people are officially recorded as having died inside the presidential residence.
Among them were two U.S. presidents. William Henry Harrison died there at age 68 in 1841 after falling seriously ill, likely from contaminated water. Zachary Taylor died at age 65 in 1850 from a severe stomach illness after attending Fourth of July celebrations in extreme heat. Three First Ladies also passed away in the White House: Letitia Tyler in 1842, Caroline Harrison in 1892, and Ellen Axson Wilson in 1914. Other deaths included presidential relatives, aides, and staff members, among them Abraham Lincoln’s son, Willie Lincoln, whose death at the age of 11 in 1862 deeply affected the family and became one of the White House’s most heartbreaking stories.
5
Presidential whims
Not every White House renovation happened due to war, damage, or urgent repairs. Some changes came simply from the personal tastes and hobbies of the presidents who lived there, and over the years, there have been quite a few memorable ones.
In 1973, Richard Nixon installed a one-lane bowling alley beneath the North Portico. Years later, in 1989, George H. W. Bush added a regulation horseshoe pit near the White House grounds, where he often relaxed and challenged visitors, including Queen Elizabeth II, to games. Then, in 2009, Barack Obama had the South Lawn tennis court modified so it could also be used for basketball, one of his favorite sports.
6
Jackie Kennedy's furniture
When the Kennedy family entered the White House in 1961, the first lady was disappointed to find that many of the historic rooms had lost much of their original character.
Determined to restore the White House’s history and elegance, Jackie Kennedy famously launched a massive restoration effort. She helped create the White House Fine Arts Committee, brought in historians and curators, and filled the residence with genuine antiques and historical pieces tied to past presidencies. On February 14, 1962, an estimated 46 to 56 million people tuned in to watch the First Lady’s televised tour of the White House, making it one of the most-watched programs of its era. She also supported a congressional act that made many of the White House’s historic furnishings official property of the nation, so future presidents could no longer sell, replace, or discard them.
7
Official name changes
As we mentioned, the building was not always white, and therefore was not always officially called the White House. For much of the 19th century, Americans usually referred to it as the "Executive Mansion" or the "President’s House." Even after its famous white exterior made the nickname popular, it still was not the building’s official name.
That finally changed in 1901, when Theodore Roosevelt began printing "The White House" on presidential stationery. According to official sources, Teddy Roosevelt preferred this name because it clearly separated the president’s residence from the many state "executive mansions" used by governors across the country.
8
It was once America's largest house
There is one thing about the White House that no one can deny: it has always been huge, even in its early days.
When the White House was first occupied in 1800, it already contained more than 100 rooms spread across three floors, making it one of the grandest homes in the United States at the time. In a time when most Americans lived in modest houses or farms, the presidential residence was seen as a palace. Many historians even consider it the largest private residence in the country during its early years. Today, the White House covers about 55,000 square feet, though modern private buildings, like the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, are now far larger.
9
President Benjamin Harrison’s fear
Among the many changes the White House has undergone over the years, few were as revolutionary as the arrival of electricity.
For nearly a century after it was built, the presidential residence relied on candles, oil lamps, and gas lighting. That finally changed in 1891, when electricity was installed during the presidency of Benjamin Harrison. But, like many families in that era, the Harrisons were not exactly thrilled by this modern invention. According to White House stories passed down over the years, President Harrison and First Lady Caroline Harrison were so nervous about the possibility of electric shock that they rarely touched the light switches themselves. Instead, they often asked the house staff to turn the lights on and off for them.
10
Hillary Clinton’s special gift
Of course, Jackie Kennedy wasn’t the only First Lady to leave her mark on the White House. Hillary Clinton added her own personal touch as well, this time as a gift for her husband.
In 1996, Hillary Clinton transformed a little-used room on the White House’s third floor into a private music room for President Bill Clinton. The gift came during the year of Bill Clinton’s 50th birthday and reflected one of his best-known passions: music. Complete with space for listening to records and playing his famous saxophone, the room gave the president a quiet retreat inside the White House.
