when did the construction of the white house begin
White House Construction of the White House began with the laying of the cornerstone on October 13, 1792, although there was no formal ceremony.[15] The main residence, as well as foundations of the house, were built largely by enslaved and free African-American laborers, as well as employed Europeans.[16] Much of the other work on the house was performed by immigrants, many not yet with citizenship. The sandstone walls were erected by Scottish immigrants, employed by Hoban,[17] as were the high-relief rose and garland decorations above the north entrance and the "fish scale" pattern beneath the pediments of the window hoods. The initial construction took place over a period of eight years, at a reported cost of $232,371.83 (equal to $3,279,177 today). Although not yet completed, the White House was ready for occupancy circa November 1, 1800.[18]
White House The building was originally variously referred to as the "President's Palace", "Presidential Mansion", or "President's House".[22] The earliest evidence of the public calling it the "White House" was recorded in 1811.[23] A myth emerged that during the rebuilding of the structure after the Burning of Washington, white paint was applied to mask the burn damage it had suffered,[24] giving the building its namesake hue.[25] The name "Executive Mansion" was used in official contexts until President Theodore Roosevelt established the formal name by having "White Houseâ€“Washington" engraved on the stationery in 1901.[26][27] The current letterhead wording and arrangement "The White House" with the word "Washington" centered beneath goes back to the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt.[27]