[ad_1]
217 years is the age of the White House after which decisions were passed that changed the course of the world and the future of nations, but most people do not realize that it has strange secrets.
The White House contains within it an integrated microcosm that does not end with tunnels, corridors and secret bunkers, that many around the world dream of seeing up close.
The house George Washington commissioned him to build emulates in its design a grand Irish house dating back to the 18th century, known as “Leinster House” and resembles the city of Dublin today.
Washington laid the foundation stone for the White House in 1792, and its initial construction was completed in 1800, and the death of the first president of the United States hampered his dream of moving into the new house.
Names other than “the White House”
Roosevelt is credited with calling the manor house the “White House” in 1901.
Throughout its history, the White House has had several names, including “The President’s Palace,” “The President’s House,” and “The Executive Palace.”
The White House History website reveals an underground “secret passage”, created in 1941.
The second president of the United States, John Adams, and his wife, Abigail, were the first residents of the White House, moving in immediately after construction was completed in the 19th century.
During the War of 1812, the British Army set the White House on fire, resulting in its complete destruction, and only one painting by George Washington survived.
The White House consists of 132 rooms, distributed over four main floors, which did not have an elevator until 1881.
Today, in addition to the bedrooms, these floors contain 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 wood stoves, eight staircases, and three elevators.
Since its inception, the White House has undergone several modifications, the most notable of which is the establishment by President Theodore Roosevelt, in 1902, of the Oval Office in the west wing of the House, as it is now known.
Underworld
The White House History website reveals the existence of a whole complex of underground rooms in the White House, including a flower shop, in which many other activities take place.
The basement of the White House also contains a bowling alley, a woodworking shop, and a paint shop.
And according to “Fox News,” there is a movie theater in the White House, a room for the calligrapher in charge of writing official invitations, a room for games and another for music, as well as a dental clinic and a shop dedicated to chocolate.
The ghost of Lincoln
Perhaps the strangest thing about the White House was what former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said about seeing the “ghost” of President Abraham Lincoln sitting by the fireplace when Churchill emerged naked from the bathtub, according to History.
Kangaroos and crocodiles
Although it is considered common for successive White House presidents to have pets, some have preferred to have very exotic animals, bypassing the dogs of Barack Obama and the horse of Zachary Taylor.
Thomas Jefferson had a bird that moved freely through the hallways of the house, and Emily, Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter, owned a snake that lived within the walls of the White House, according to Travel and Leisure.
And President John Quincy Adams had a real crocodile; He lived in a White House bathroom, as well as in two crocodiles that had been free to roam the house for some time, owned by the sons of President Herbert Hoover.
As for President Calvin Coolidge, he decided to have a small bear, two lion cubs, a tiger lynx, as well as a small whale kangaroo and a stunted hippopotamus.
pool
Over the years, two pools were opened at the White House, one of them covered, built after a donation drive led by the “New York Times” to build a pool for President Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, but the President Richard Nixon decided to cover it and build the famous press conference room on top. In 1970.
Gerald Ford installed an outdoor pool on the White House lawn in 1975.
Lairs and tunnels
According to the Washington Post, there is an emergency operations center for the president, built underground during World War II, under President Franklin Roosevelt, and it is where Vice President Bush’s son, Dick Cheney, and Bush’s wife, Laura , took refuge during the September 11 attacks. Terrorist 2001.
And according to what Laura Bush described, she was pushed down through large steel doors, which led her into “unfinished” basements, until she reached the safe haven, located under the North Lawn of the White House.
The bunker, deep underground, has the ability to withstand any nuclear or biological attack that the White House may suffer.
According to the newspaper, the shelter is located on five floors underground, equipped with infrastructure to ensure the supply of air and food needed in case of emergency.
The Washington Post reports that there are at least two tunnels under the White House, one of which leads to the Treasury Department building, and continues through it until reaching H Street in an area far from the White House.
As for the other tunnel, it leads to the site of the president’s helicopter, “Marine 1”, and is used in emergency situations.
