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THE WHITE HOUSE
As we all know the White House is the official residence of the President of the United States. it is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C., and the zip code is 20500. The white house covers about 18 acres of land, and it was choosen by George Washington, Pierre Charles L'Efant and the architect James Hoban. They choose this design from James Gibbs Book of Architecture. The first cornerstone was laid by President George Washington on October 13, 1792, and by the time 1800 came around John and Abigail Adams were the first residents to move into the White House. It was noted to be burnt by the the Brittish in 1814 during the War of 1812. In December of 1948 the interior was beng redone and the exterior walls were being strengthened. The reconstruction process lasted until 1952. On the first floor of the whitehouse you will find the rooms for public funtions, and the second and third floors are for the residents of the President's family and the Vice President's family. The east room is refered as the celebration room, were most celebrations take place, and reception tak place there as well. Other public rooms include the Red Room, The Green Room, and the Blue Room. The State dining room is used mostly for formal dinners, and overall there are a total of 132 rooms in the White House.
THE CAPITOL
It all began in 1793 when George Washington laid the first cornerstone, and that was the same year William Thornton began the construction process. When 1800 came around the North wing was completed, and congress meet there for the first time. In 1803 Thornton found that he could not get along with congress, and thats when Benjamin Latrobe took over as the capitols architect, and by 1807 the South wing was complete. The capitol was burnt during the War of 1812, and thats when latrobe began the restoation process. By 1817 Latrobe found that he too was unable to get along with congress, so he was replaced by the American Architect Charles Bulfinch. He was noted for attaching the two wings when he added the central dome. By the time 1830 came he added steps, terraces, and a gate house. The capitol was completed when a nineton dome was covered by Thomas Crawford's statue of Freedom, Which enlarged the wings in 1863. In 1968 they started to extend the central part 32 1/2 eastward for better balance.
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT
The construction of the Washington Monument took almosta century to plan and build. This Monument attracks about two million visitors a year. The idea for this large statue was in the cities original plans, but the project was soon crossed off the list. After Washington died the project was taken up once more, and there was a number of false starts and design changes. By the time 1848 came they started the construction on the Washington Monument, and Robert Mills was the architect. In 1854 they ran into a money shortage, which brought the construction to a stop. By 1880 they were back in the construction process, by 1884 the Washington Monument was complete, and In 1888 the Monument was open to the public. The tampered shaft was filled with white marble that went up about 15 feet, and the base of it was built after the obelisks of ancient Egypt. It also has memorial stones from each of the 50 states, foreign countries, and organizations, which line the interior walls. The top of the monument can only be reached by elevator, and when you get to the top of this 555 foot building you get a view of Washington D.C.
THE LIBERTY BELL
The liberty bell was cased in England in 1752 for the Pennsylvania Statehouse, which is now known as Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It was recasted in Philadelphia in 1753. It has "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" inscribed into it. The bell was rung on July 8, 1776 for the first public hearing of the Declaration of Independence. It was hidden in Allentown during the British occupation of Philidelphia, and it was returned to Independence Hall in 1778. It cracked on July 8, 1885 during the death of Chief Justice John Marshall. In 1976 the bell was moved to a exhibitation building right next to Independence Hall.
THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED PERIODICALLY!
LOOK FOR THESE MEMORIALS IN THE NEAR FUTURE:
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Korean War Veterans Memorial
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
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