Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-07-14
yntfttstlng SkettBes.
LADY OCCUPANTS
Of the White House at Washington.
From the Home Journal.

~~-~ " AAAON 4AOuSN 0V w cScA44AH 5Ous
The Presidential mansion at Washington
city, familiarity called the "White House, y
has been often described-but before noticing
It's successive occupants, as is our purpose in
this article, it may be well to say few words
respecting the building itself, for the benefit
of those readers who have not visited Wash
ington.
On the 18th of March, 1899, the commits
sioners of the city of Washington offered
premium, by advertisement in the public pa
pers, for plan of the Presidents House, and
another for the design of the capitol, to be
presented on the 18th of July The plan for
the Presidents House, presented by Captain
James Hoban, was approved; and on the 18th
of October, 1892, a procession was formed for
laying the corner stone of the building 1t
was wholly constructed after the design, and
under the direction of Captain Hoban, and the
interior was rebuilt by him after it had been
destroyed by the British troops, in I8I4-
Various delays occurred in the first construc-
ton of the building, so that it was eight years
w.
the family of President Adams.
After the removal of the President from
Philadelphia to Washington, Mrs. Adams
writes, under date of 2lst November, 1900:
:" l arrived here on Sunday last, and with
out meeting with any other accident worth
noticing, except losing ourselves when we left
Baltimore. Woods are all you can see from
Baltimore, until you reach the city, which is
SO only name. Inthe city there are buildings
enough, ifthey were compact and finished, to
accommodate Congress and those attached to
1t; but as they are, and scattered as they are,
see no great comfort for them. The Presi-
dents House is upon grand and superb
: scale, requiring about thirty servants to at
tend and keep the apartments in proper order
The house Is made habitable, but there is not
single apartment finished The principal
stairs are not up, and Will not be this winter.
SIX chambers are made comfortable-two are
occupied by the President and Mr.. Shaw
two lower rooms, one for common parlor.
and one for levee room. Up stairs, there is
the oval room, which is designed for the
drawing-room, and has the crimson furniture
In 1t. 1t is very handsome apartment now,
but, when completed, it will be beautiful If
the twelve years in which this place has been
considered as the future seat of government,
had been improvd as they would have been, if
In New England, very many of the present diff
ficulties would have been removed. 1t is a
very beautiful spot, capable of every improve
ment; and the more | view it the more am
delighted with it,
After few days she again wrote, under
date of Nov 9th, 1900 =
t'The ladies are impatient for drawing
room; have no looking-glasses but dwarfs
for this house; nor a twentieth part lamps
enough to light it. Many things were stolen,
many more were broken by removal; amongst
the number, my tea-china is more than half
missing. My rooms are very pleasant and
warm whilst the doors of the hall are closed
You can scarcely believe that here, in this
wilderness city, l should find my time SO oc-.
cupied as it is. My visitors, some of them,
come three and four miles. The return of
one of them is the work of one day-most of
the ladies reside in Georgetown or in scat
tered parts Of the city, at two and three miles
distance"
President Adams made short visit to
Washington and Mt. Vernon, in June, 1900,
and writes to his wife from the new city
q like the seat of government very well,
and shall sleep or lie awake next winter in
the Presidents House. An abundance of
company, and many, tokens Of respect have at
tended my journey. The establishment Of the
public Offices in this place gives it the air Of
the seat of government, and all things seem to
go on well"
On the Ist November, 1900, the President
removed to Washington, and in few days,
was followed by his wife and family, remain
ing only until the 4th of March following,
when his Presidential term expired.
The Presidents House is situated at the
westerly part Of the city, about mile from
the Capitol, on Pennsylvania Avenue, which is
one hundred and sixty feet in width, passing
both buildings and extending from George
town to the eastern branch Of the Potomac. -
-Four avenues radiate from the Presidents
House as centre. The building stands near
the centre Of plat of ground of twenty acres,
at an elevation of forty-four feet above the
usual high water of the Potomac. The en-
trance front faces north upon La Fayette
Square, and the garden front to the south
opens to an extensive and finely varied view
of the Capitol, The Smithsonian Institution,
and most improved part of the city, of the riv-
er, and Potomac Bridge, and of the opposite
Virginia and Maryland shores. The edifce
is one hundred and seventy fronts and eighty
six deep, is built of light-greyish freestone,
(which is painted white) with Ionic Plasters,
comprehending two lofty stories of rooms,
crowned with stone balustrade: The north
front is ornamented with lofty portic0 Of
four Ionic columns. The south, or garden
front is varied by having rustcated basement
story under the Ionic portion, and, by semi
circular projecting colonade of six columns,
with two flights of steps, leading from the
ground to the level Of the principal story. 1t
was found necessary to paint it white, in or