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The White House is probably one of the most iconic
and recognizable pieces of architecture in the world. It’s a symbol of
the world’s most powerful nation and it’s also home to the most powerful
man on Earth. Needless to say, the White House has had its share of
weird historical moments with equally weird additions and facts that
most people may not be aware of such as hidden swimming pools and royal
sleepovers. So if you’re ready to learn some interesting facts about the
White House, we present to you these some Curious Things About The White
House You Probably Never Thought About.
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There is a dentist's office under the White House
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Actually, there is an entire strip mall underneath the White House with
a flower shop and even a bowling alley (added by Nixon)
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Before Theodore Roosevelt it wasn't
called the White House. It was called the Executive Mansion
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It was never built with a handicapped president in mind so when Franklin
Roosevelt entered office the whole place had to be redone with ramps and
elevators for his wheelchair.
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It didn't have running water until 1833 when it was installed by Andrew
Jackson
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The water wasn't piped to the first family's second floor bathroom until
20 years later in 1853
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FDR installed an indoor pool in 1933 to help him with his polio stricken
legs. Although successive presidents like Truman and JFK used it, Nixon
ended up laying a floor on top of it and using it as a press briefing
room. And that is still what it is today.
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Ulysses S Grant added a billiard room in the 1870s
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The White House was the biggest home in the United States until the
1860s.
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There are 6 floors with 3 elevators
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As we said, George Washington played a role in the
White House design but he never actually lived there as it wasn't
completed during his presidency.
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John Adams, the second president, was the first one to
inhabit the mansion
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You can choose from one out of 35 different bathrooms.
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In 1942 the White House received a movie theatre in
what used to be the cloak room
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The design for the White House was chosen in a
contest. The winner was Irishman James Hoban |