Commissioned  by George Washington and a committee and built by James Hoban, an Irish architect, the White House was finished in 1800, but was burned and gutted by the British in 1814. Hear the story of what happened to this major symbol of a democratic republic and why it had to be rebuilt a second time nearly 135 years later.

Technical Assistance by Bill Stunden, former videographer, cameraman and documentarian of the CBC.

https://www.whitehousehistory.org/

https://www.c-span.org/video/?441819-1/president-truman-white-house-restoration

https://www.whitehousehistory.org/collections/president-trumans-renovation

Books:

“The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of America’s Most Famous House” by Robert Klara

“James Hoban: Designer and Builder of the White House” by Stewart McLaren

“A White House of Stone: Building America’s First Ideal in Architecture by William Seale