The house at One Observatory Circle was designed by architect Leon E. Dessez and built in 1893 for $20,000 (equivalent to $569,111 in 2019) for the use of the superintendent of the Naval Observatory who was the original resident.
It was built on 13 acres (5.3 ha) of land which had originally been part of a 73-acre (30 ha) farm called Northview, which the Navy purchased in 1880.
The observatory was moved from Foggy Bottom to its new location the same year the house was completed and twelve observatory superintendents lived in what was then known as The Superintendent's House.
In 1928, with the passage of Public Law 630, Congress appropriated it for the chief of naval operations, and in June 1929, Charles Hughes became the first resident of what became known as Admiral's House.
For the next 45 years, it served as the home of such Admirals as Richard Leigh, Chester Nimitz, and Elmo Zumwalt.
The home's exterior was originally dark red brick until 1960, when it was painted "feather" gray.
It was changed to white with black shutters in 1963, and now is cream colored.

In 1966, in response to the John F. Kennedy assassination, Congress passed a law creating "an official residence for the vice president of the United States in the District of Columbia" and designating "approximately ten acres at the United States Naval Observatory" for such use.
The exact location was to be determined later by the GAO and the Navy, and construction was to commence on the residence when funding was available once the Vietnam War was over.
In the interim, the Secret Service paid for expensive upgrades to the private homes of vice presidents Hubert Humphrey, Spiro Agnew, and Gerald Ford.
Agnew lived in his house for only three months in 1973 before resigning; shortly after, he sold it at a large profit, in part because of the upgrades (additional quarters for the Secret Service, fences and a new driveway for example), paid for by the government.
This resulted in a minor scandal, and a subsequent investigation showed that it would be cheaper to set up the new vice presidential residence immediately, rather than continue to secure private homes.

In July 1974, Congress passed a new law to make Admiral's House the "official temporary residence of the vice president of the United States" effective upon the termination of service of the incumbent chief of naval operations.
Work began on preparing Admiral's House to be the temporary vice president's residence later that fall, after Richard Nixon's resignation and move of the CNO to Quarters A at the Navy Yard.
Elmo Zumwalt was the last chief of naval operations to live in Number One Observatory Circle before it became the official residence of the vice president.
For Zumwalt, not pleased with the choice, this was reason enough to challenge Virginia senator Harry F. Byrd Jr. in the 1976 Senate election.

The house formally opened as the vice presidential residence in September 1975, but Nelson Rockefeller chose to live in his larger private home instead and used Admiral's House only for entertaining.
In January 1977, Walter Mondale became the first vice president to live in the house, and it has served as the home of every vice president since.

Instead of building a new vice presidential residence, One Observatory Circle continued to have extensive remodels.
In 1976, the Navy spent $276,000 to replace 22 window units with steam heat and central air conditioning; the leaky roof was replaced in 1980 with slate.
The Bushes raised $187,000 for carpeting, furniture and upholstery when they arrived in 1981, and the next year the Navy spent $34,000 to repair the porch roof.
Repairs to  interior and exterior walls damaged by water seepage amounted to $225,000 and $8,000 more was spent to build a small master bedroom.
Dan Quayle delayed his move in by a month in 1989 for an extensive $300,000 remodelling that included a rebuilt third floor with bedrooms suitable for children, a wheelchair-accessible entrance and an upgraded bathroom off the vice president's room.
 A putting green was added in 1989 and a swimming pool
The house at One Observatory Circle was designed by architect Leon E. Dessez and built in 1893 for $20,000 (equivalent to $569,111 in 2019) for the use of the superintendent of the Naval Observatory who was the original resident. It was built on 13 acres (5.3 ha) of land which had originally been part of a 73-acre (30 ha) farm called Northview, which the Navy purchased in 1880. The observatory was moved from Foggy Bottom to its new location the same year the house was completed and twelve observatory superintendents lived in what was then known as The Superintendent's House. In 1928, with the passage of Public Law 630, Congress appropriated it for the chief of naval operations, and in June 1929, Charles Hughes became the first resident of what became known as Admiral's House. For the next 45 years, it served as the home of such Admirals as Richard Leigh, Chester Nimitz, and Elmo Zumwalt. The home's exterior was originally dark red brick until 1960, when it was painted "feather" gray. It was changed to white with black shutters in 1963, and now is cream colored.
In 1966, in response to the John F. Kennedy assassination, Congress passed a law creating "an official residence for the vice president of the United States in the District of Columbia" and designating "approximately ten acres at the United States Naval Observatory" for such use. The exact location was to be determined later by the GAO and the Navy, and construction was to commence on the residence when funding was available once the Vietnam War was over. In the interim, the Secret Service paid for expensive upgrades to the private homes of vice presidents Hubert Humphrey, Spiro Agnew, and Gerald Ford. Agnew lived in his house for only three months in 1973 before resigning; shortly after, he sold it at a large profit, in part because of the upgrades (additional quarters for the Secret Service, fences and a new driveway for example), paid for by the government. This resulted in a minor scandal, and a subsequent investigation showed that it would be cheaper to set up the new vice presidential residence immediately, rather than continue to secure private homes.
In July 1974, Congress passed a new law to make Admiral's House the "official temporary residence of the vice president of the United States" effective upon the termination of service of the incumbent chief of naval operations. Work began on preparing Admiral's House to be the temporary vice president's residence later that fall, after Richard Nixon's resignation and move of the CNO to Quarters A at the Navy Yard. Elmo Zumwalt was the last chief of naval operations to live in Number One Observatory Circle before it became the official residence of the vice president. For Zumwalt, not pleased with the choice, this was reason enough to challenge Virginia senator Harry F. Byrd Jr. in the 1976 Senate election.
The house formally opened as the vice presidential residence in September 1975, but Nelson Rockefeller chose to live in his larger private home instead and used Admiral's House only for entertaining. In January 1977, Walter Mondale became the first vice president to live in the house, and it has served as the home of every vice president since.
Instead of building a new vice presidential residence, One Observatory Circle continued to have extensive remodels. In 1976, the Navy spent $276,000 to replace 22 window units with steam heat and central air conditioning; the leaky roof was replaced in 1980 with slate. The Bushes raised $187,000 for carpeting, furniture and upholstery when they arrived in 1981, and the next year the Navy spent $34,000 to repair the porch roof. Repairs to  interior and exterior walls damaged by water seepage amounted to $225,000 and $8,000 more was spent to build a small master bedroom. Dan Quayle delayed his move in by a month in 1989 for an extensive $300,000 remodelling that included a rebuilt third floor with bedrooms suitable for children, a wheelchair-accessible entrance and an upgraded bathroom off the vice president's room.  A putting green was added in 1989 and a swimming pool
Number One Observatory Circle