Government Buildings Trivia

1. Who selected the site for the White House?

From Quiz The White House

Answer: George Washington

George Washington selected the site for the White House in 1791. Construction began in 1792 after James Hoban, an Irish-American architect, submitted its design after being named the winner of the design competition for the White House.

From Quiz The U.S. Capitol: The Rotunda

Answer: 180 feet

Though the Capitol dome tops out at 289 feet, the Rotunda itself is a mere 180 feet. Still, that's taller than all but ten buildings in Washington, D.C.

From Quiz The White House

Answer: Wood

The White House is approximately 55,000 square feet. It is 6 stories tall and located on 18 acres of land. The White House has 132 rooms including 16 bedrooms, 35 bathrooms, 3 kitchens, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, and 3 elevators. It takes more than 400 gallons of white paint to cover the exterior of the White House. Most of the original wood beams have since been replaced by steel.

From Quiz The Real West Wing

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Roosevelt's family and the White House staff were all crowded on the second floor of the White House. Therefore in 1902 Congress agreed $65,000 for the construction of a one-story office building just to the west of the White House. The new building gave the president and his staff the much needed space they needed.

From Quiz What Do You Know About the Pentagon?

Answer: 23,000

At times the building has over 30,000 people due to meetings, or other events, but the number of permanent staff is about 23,000.

From Quiz Massachusetts State House

Answer: The House Chamber

The sacred cod hangs above the visitor's gallery in the House Chamber. It is a tribute to the fishing industry, one of the state's largest industries.

From Quiz The White House

Answer: John Adams

President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved into the White House after eight years of construction in the year 1800. Even then, the newly-constructed house was not completed until Thomas Jefferson's term. First Lady Abigail Adams called the White House "the great castle".

From Quiz The U.S. Capitol: The Rotunda

Answer: "The Apotheosis of Washington" by Constantino Brumudi

Constantino Brumidi was an Italian-born painter who worked for three years in the Vatican under Pope Gregory XVI before emigrating to the United States in 1852. "The Apotheosis of Washington" took him 11 months to complete. As for the others, "Landing of Columbus" is a large painting hanging on the wall of the Rotunda, and the other two are sculptures adorning the East Front of the Capitol.

From Quiz The White House

Answer: John Adams

President George Washington commissioned the building of the White House during his term as president. However, construction was not completed until three years into the term of America's second president, John Adams. President Adams and his family moved from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to the White House in 1800.

From Quiz The West Wing

Answer: William Taft

William Taft was such an obese man that he once got stuck in his bath tub. He had an oval office built 1909, but he actually had it in the center of the West Wing as opposed to the end where it is now located.

From Quiz The White House

Answer: 35

The White House covers approximately 55,000 square feet on 18 acres of land and has 132 rooms on its 6 floors. This includes 8 staircases, 3 elevators, 28 fireplaces, 412 doors, and 147 windows. There is also a tennis court, a single-lane bowling alley, a beauty salon, a physician's office, a florist's shop, a movie theater, a swimming pool, a jogging track, and a putting green.

From Quiz The U.S. Capitol: The Rotunda

Answer: The first flight at Kitty Hawk (1903)

Constantino Brumudi's original design for the panorama ended with the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill, but due to a miscalculation early in the process, there was a 31-foot gap left when his original plans were completed, allowing for more recent events to be added later, including a Civil War scene, a Spanish-American War naval battle, and the first flight. And even if the artist had wanted to include a World War I battle to the frieze, he certainly would not have chosen the Battle of Verdun, which was fought more than a year before the U.S. entered the conflict!

From Quiz The White House

Answer: Grover Cleveland

President Cleveland married Frances Folsom during a ceremony held in the White House on June 2, 1886. First Lady Frances Cleveland gave birth to a daughter, Esther, in 1893 in her White House bedroom. Esther was the only baby to be born in the White House.

From Quiz The West Wing

Answer: Marine Guard

You can also tell when the President is at the White House. The flag on the top of the building will be flying, and if you get lucky you will see a secret service person on the roof.

From Quiz The Real West Wing

Answer: HMS Resolute

The desk was made from the timbers of HMS Resolute, which was abandoned at sea in 1854. She was discovered by a United States sea-captain and sent back to England as a gift from the President and the American people. When the ship was decommissioned, a desk was built from the ship's timbers. The desk was given to President Rutherford Hayes by Queen Victoria. Many Presidents have been photographed or filmed at the desk. One of the most famous photographs of the desk shows John Kennedy's young son (John Junior) peeking out from behind the central panel while his father worked at the desk.

From Quiz The White House

Answer: President Theodore Roosevelt

The White House has also been known as the "President's Palace", "President's House", and "Executive Mansion". It was given the name of the "White House" by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1901.

From Quiz The White House

Answer: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Send your cards and letters to: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500; give them a call at(202)456-1414; send a fax to(202)456-2461.

From Quiz The White House

Answer: War of 1812

This event occurred during the "Burning of Washington" on August 24, 1814, when General Robert Ross led a British force to capture and occupy Washington. It was at this time that the First Lady, Dolley Madison, rescued a portrait of George Washington from destruction by cutting it from its frame before escaping from the White House. A second fire broke out in 1929, at which time most of the rooms, except those on the third floor, had to be gutted and renovated.

From Quiz The West Wing

Answer: The Blue Goose

They call the press meeting a gaggle. This is because a group of geese is called a gaggle. Get it? The Blue Goose.

From Quiz The Real West Wing

Answer: Herbert Hoover

The fire (caused by an electrical fault) which occurred on Christmas Eve 1929 led to restoration and renovations which displaced Herbert Hoover and his staff for several months while new improved facilities were built.

From Quiz The White House

Answer: West Wing

Besides the Oval Office, the West Wing also houses the Cabinet Room, the Situation Room, and the Roosevelt Room. The West Wing was ordered to be constructed in 1902 by President Theodore Roosevelt who found that with the accommodations needed for his wife and family of five children, the offices which existed in the White House were insufficient.

From Quiz The U.S. Capitol: The Rotunda

Answer: Ronald Reagan

While inaugural ceremonies are usually held in front of the Capitol, Reagan's second inauguration was moved indoors due to record cold temperatures. Taft and Madison were also inaugurated in the Capitol, but not in the Rotunda.

From Quiz The Real West Wing

Answer: Swimming pool

The swimming pool was for Franklin Roosevelt who was disabled due to polio. The campaign was successful and the pool was built between the White House and West Wing. It had arched ceilings and rows of half-moon windows, with French doors opening into the Rose Garden. It was a showcase of the technology of the time, featuring underwater lighting and the latest gadgets.

From Quiz What Do You Know About the Pentagon?

Answer: A swamp

This swamp was also at one time an airport and dumpsite. The concrete used during the construction was made using sand from the boundary channel of the Potomac, which is due east of the building.

From Quiz Massachusetts State House

Answer: Holy Mackerel

Not to be outdone by the House's and Governor's fish, the Senate adopted a marine mascot of their own, known as the Holy Mackerel. This fish was actually incorporated into the design of the chandelier that dominates the Senate Chamber.

From Quiz The White House

Answer: Rose Garden

First Lady Ellen Wilson, wife of President Woodrow Wilson, established the White House Rose Garden in 1913. Originally, this garden was the site of a colonial garden which had been established by First Lady Edith Roosevelt, wife of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902. The Rose Garden is often the setting for special ceremonies and speeches, as well as the place for greeting distinguished guests and visitors.

From Quiz The White House

Answer: Easter egg roll

Reports of White House egg-rolling celebrations date back to President Abraham Lincoln's administration (1861 to 1865). Some members of Congress didn't like the idea of children trampling on the White House lawn, so in 1876 they passed the Turf Protection Law. This law prohibited the grounds of the White House from being used as a playground and put an end to the Easter egg roll. Public outrage led to the reinstatement of the event by President Rutherford Hayes in 1878. The Easter egg roll, which takes place on the Monday following Easter, has been a popular White House tradition ever since.

From Quiz The West Wing

Answer: under the outside pool

Kennedy created the Situation Room during the time when the U.S. was having problems with Cuba.

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