Laying of the White House Cornerstone
- When
- 1792
- Where
- Federal District
- Episodes
- 1
The cornerstone of the United States Executive Mansion, later known as the White House, was laid on October 13, 1792, in Washington, D.C. This event marked the beginning of construction for the permanent presidential residence, following the Residence Act of 1790 and the selection of James Hoban's design. The site was part of the newly established federal district, surveyed by Andrew Ellicott's team, including Benjamin Banneker.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. The Residence Act, signed by President George Washington on July 16, 1790, established the capital district along the Potomac River. Pierre Charles L'Enfant designed the city in 1791, but was dismissed in March 1792. Following his dismissal, Washington and Thomas Jefferson agreed to hold a design competition for the President's House, which became a major feature of the planned federal city.
Construction Start. Construction of the White House officially began at noon on October 13, 1792, with the laying of the cornerstone. The building's exterior walls were constructed using Aquia Creek sandstone. The site was located in the federal district, which had been surveyed by Andrew Ellicott's team, including Benjamin Banneker, between 1791 and 1792.
People involved
- George Washington · President of the United States
- Thomas Jefferson · Secretary of State
- Andrew Ellicott · Surveyor
- Benjamin Banneker · Astronomer
Sources
- White House Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29
- Washington, D.C. Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-01
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.