Our house, in the middle of our street

On this day in 1792 during a ceremony in the District of Columbia, President George Washington laid the cornerstone of the executive mansion, later known as the White House because its white-gray Virginia freestone contrasted strikingly with the red brick of nearby buildings. Washington died before construction was completed. In 1800, President John Adams became the first president to reside in the White House. The official White House site offers a virtual tour of the building, with historical notes.