WhiteHouseSymbolofUSAFormorethan200years,theWhiteHousehasbeenmorethanjustthehomeofthePresidentsandtheirfamilies.Throughouttheworld,itisrecognizedasthesymbolofthePresident,ofthePresident'sadministration,andoftheUnitedStates.Itisasampleofimaginebuilttostoneandhonorary,asampleoffreedomandagreatstatemadeoflibertyofslavesandunderstandingoflife.Itislikenoplaceofother,ahouseallyingpastandpresent.Now,you’lljoinmyjournalinthetimeandthedate,meetingthepeople,andhearingthestoriesthattheybuiltthispowerfulplaceanditssoul.PresidentGeorgeWashingtonsignedanActofCongressinDecemberof1790declaringthatthefederalgovernmentwouldresideinadistrictnotexceedingtenmilessquare…ontheriverPotomac.ConstructionbeganwhenthefirstcornerstonewaslaidinOctoberof1792.AlthoughPresidentWashingtonoversawtheconstructionofthehouse,heneverlivedinit.Itwasnotuntil1800,whentheWhiteHousewasnearlycompleted,thatitsfirstresidents,PresidentJohnAdamsandhiswife,Abigail,movedin.Sincethattime,eachPresidenthasmadehisownchangesandadditions.TheWhiteHouseis,afterall,thePresident’sprivatehome.Itisalsotheonlyprivateresidenceofaheadofstatethatisopentothepublic,freeofcharge.Washingtonwasnotbuildingahouse,itisbuildingthepresidency.Thehouseramainsoneofthepresident’.mostusefultoolThereisonethingmakestheHouseanattraction.Thefactisthatafamilyisreallylivinghere,everyday.Sothehouseisnotonlyapoliticalstagebutalsoahumantouchofafamilylivesthere.Tomorrow,itisalloverstartedagain,andeveryday.Familieswillcomeandgo,justlikeothers.ThesepeoplearefillingtheHouse,andgiveitlife.AndAmericaideaendures.