The White House
Built: 1792 - 1800, 1824
Style: Neoclassical
Architects: James Hoban and Benjamin Henry Latrobe
Learn About the White House
Irish-born architect James Hoban modeled the American presidential home after the
Leinster House, a Georgian style estate that now houses the National Parliament in the Republic of Ireland. Made of Aquia sandstone painted white, the White House was more austere than it appears today.
In 1824, architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe expanded the White House and added the graceful portico. Although he had never traveled to France, some historians believe he may have been influenced by the Château de Rastignac, an elegant French country house designed by Mathurin Salat.
Latrobe's renovations transformed the White House from a modest Georgian house into a Neoclassical mansion.
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