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Origins of the Presidency and Official Duties

The White House

When was the president’s residence officially called the White House?

Although the term “White House” was used to describe the building as early as 1809, President Theodore Roosevelt officially adopted the moniker in 1901, when he engraved it on his stationery. Before then, the building was referred to as the Executive Mansion, the Presidential Palace, or the Presidential Mansion. First Lady Dolley Madison called it the President’s Castle.