The Executive Residence is the central building of the White House Complex

White House Complex

The White House Complex is the designation of the three principal structures and the adjoining outdoor ceremonial areas, which, along with the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, serve as the seat of the executive branch of United States government...

 located between the East Wing

East Wing of the White House

The East Wing is a part of the White House Complex. It is a two-story structure on the east side of the White House Executive Residence, the home of the President of the United States. The East Wing also includes the White House theater, the visitor's entrance, and the East Colonnade, a corridor...

 and West Wing. This central building, first constructed 1792–1800, is home to the President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 and the First Family

First Family of the United States

The First Family of the United States is the unofficial title for the family of the President of the United States, who is both head of state and head of government of the United States. Members of the First Family consist of the President, the First Lady of the United States, and any of their...

. The Executive Residence primarily occupies three floors: the Ground Floor, State Floor, and Second Floor. A third floor contains a solarium, guest rooms, and some recreation rooms for the first family. Two sub-basements, created during the 1948–1952 Truman reconstruction, contain storage and service areas, and a wartime shelter for the president and first family.

Sub Basement Lower Level

This level was added during the 1948 Truman Renovation and contains the two-story air conditioning and water softening equipment. Additionally, the program control and electrical switching areas extend upwards into the Mezzanine.

The lower level also contains large storage areas, a heating and air control room adjacent to the air conditioning room, and rest rooms in the southwest corner. There are three elevator machinery rooms, an ushers' room, incinerator, laundry room, and dentist.

Sub Basement Mezzanine

This level was added during the 1948 Truman Renovation and has several openings in the floor for large machinery, ductwork and pipes that extend up from the Sub Basement Lower Level. These openings are for Air Conditioning, Program Control, and Electrical Switching, as well as the Water Softener, which is immediately south of the Air Conditioner Room and is under the South Portico.
Besides these areas, the Mezzanine contains Storage areas, Dishwasher (and associated Dishware and Flatware rooms), and a Fan room in the North-West corner, and Men's and Women's rooms (South East and North East corners respectively) with stairs from each leading up to the Ground Floor.

Ground Floor

Originally intended as a service area for cooking, laundry and heating, the Ground Floor was rebuilt during the administration of Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...

 in 1902, and again between 1948–1952 during the Truman reconstruction. Today this floor houses several official rooms including the Diplomatic Reception Room

Diplomatic Reception Room (White House)

The Diplomatic Reception Room is one of three oval rooms in the residence of the White House, the official home of the President of the United States. It is located on the Ground Floor and is used as an entrance from the South Lawn, and a reception room for foreign ambassadors to present their...

, Library

Library (White House)

The White House Library is located on the Ground Floor of the White House, the official home of the President of the United States. The room is approximately 27 by 23 feet and is located in the northwest of the ground floor. The Library is used for teas and meetings by the President and First Lady...

, China Room, Map Room

Map Room (White House)

The Map Room is a room on the ground floor of the White House, the official home of the President of the United States.The Map Room takes its name from its use during World War II, when Franklin Roosevelt used it as a situation room where maps were consulted to track the war's progress...

, and Vermeil Room. This floor continues to house some White House domestic operations. The kitchen and pantry are located on this floor, along with the office of the White House Curator, and the office of the White House physician.
This floor is at the same level as, and connects directly to, the basement level which extends under the North Portico and even further. The bulk of it goes West to East - The Western most portion is in line with the western most wall of the Palm Room, The Eastern most portion is in line with the eastern most wall of the Visitor's Foyer. It contains the flower shop, the carpenters shop as well as the bowling alley, among other rooms. The bowling alley is in the very center of the basement, going north-south. In 1948, as part of the Truman Renovation, the North-East corner of the basement was extended further north so it could contain transformers and air blowers.

State Floor

The State Floor is used for official entertaining and ceremonial functions. The following rooms are found on the State Floor: Entrance Hall

Entrance Hall

The Entrance Hall is the primary and formal entrance to the White House, the official residence of the President of the United States. The room is rectilinear in shape and measures approximately 31 by 44 feet...

, Cross Hall, East Room, Green Room

Green Room (White House)

The Green Room is one of three state parlors on the first floor in the White House, the home of the president of the United States. It is used for small receptions and teas. During a state dinner, guests are served cocktails in the three state parlors before the president, first lady, and visiting...

, Blue Room

Blue Room (White House)

The Blue Room is one of three state parlors on the first floor in the White House, the residence of the president of the United States. It is distinct for its oval shape. The room is used for receptions, receiving lines, and is occasionally set for small dinners...

, Red Room

Red Room (White House)

The Red Room is one of three state parlors on the first floor in the White House, the home of the President of the United States. The room has served as a parlor and music room, and recent presidents have held small dinner parties in it. It has been traditionally decorated in shades of red.The...

, State Dining Room, Family Dining Room

Family Dining Room

The Family Dining Room is located on the State Floor of the White House, the official residence of the president of the United States. The room is used for smaller, more private meals than those served in the State Dining Room. Today the president uses the Family Dining Room less for family and...

, and the Chief Usher's

White House Chief Usher

White House Chief Usher is the title of the head of household staff and operations at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States....

 office.

Second Floor

The Second Floor contains the private living apartments of the president and first family. Some of these rooms are used for official entertaining, but most are reserved for private use. The following rooms are found on the Second Floor: Yellow Oval Room, Treaty Room

Treaty Room

The Treaty Room is located on the second floor of the White House, the official residence of the President of the United States. The room is a part of the first family's private apartments and is used as a study by the president....

, President's Dining Room

President's Dining Room

The President's Dining Room is located in the northwest corner of the second floor of the White House. It was created in 1961 during the administration of John F. Kennedy to provide a dining room in the First Family's residence. The room had previously been used as a bedroom and sitting room...

, Lincoln Bedroom, Lincoln Sitting Room

Lincoln Sitting Room

The Lincoln Sitting Room is a small sitting room located on the second floor of the White House. It was used as the White House telegraph room from 1865 to 1902 . It is furnished in Victorian-style to match the bedroom. The overstuffed sofa and matching chair were formerly furnishings in the Green...

, Queens' Bedroom

Queens' Bedroom

The Queens' Bedroom is located on the second floor of the White House, part of a guest suite of rooms that includes the Queens' Sitting Room. It is "named for the many royal guests it has hosted, ".- Furnishings :The room has been furnished in 1968 Federal style since the Truman renovation...

, Queens' Sitting Room

Queens' Sitting Room

The Queens' Sitting Room is a small sitting room located in the northeast corner of the second floor of the White House. It was used as part of the president's offices until 1902 when the West Wing was built. The room became a sitting room for guests in the Queens' Bedroom in 1902...

, Central Hall

Second Floor Center Hall (White House)

The Center Hall is a broad central hallway on the second floor of the White House, home of the President of the United States. It runs east to west connecting the East Sitting Hall with the West Sitting Hall...

, East Sitting Hall

East Sitting Hall

The East Sitting Hall is located on the second floor of the White House, home of the President of the United States. First used as a reception room for guests of the president , it is now a family parlor with access to the east rooms on the second floor.The room is entered from the second floor...

, and West Sitting Hall

West Sitting Hall

The West Sitting Hall is located on the second floor of the White House, home of the President of the United States. The room is entered from the second floor Center Hall on the east side of the room. The room features a large lunette window on the west wall looks out upon the West Colonnade, the...

. The Truman Balcony

Truman Balcony

The Truman Balcony is the second-floor balcony of the Executive Residence of the White House, which overlooks the south lawn. It was completed in March 1948, during the presidency of Harry S. Truman.-Controversy over construction plans:...

 is also located on this floor. Four private bedrooms and a dressing room are reserved for the president. Different presidents have used various rooms as their bedroom. What is now known as the President's Bedroom

President's Bedroom

The President's Bedroom is a second floor bedroom in the White House. The bedroom makes up the White House master suite along with the adjacent sitting room and the smaller dressing room, all located in the southwest corner. Prior to the Ford Administration it was common for the President and...

 has traditionally been used as the First Lady's bedroom, although this was Abraham Lincoln's bedroom; historically many presidents used what is now called the Private Sitting Room as their bedroom.

Third floor

During a 1927 renovation the White House attic was rebuilt into a third floor. It was further expanded with the Truman Reconstruction and currently contains 20 rooms, 9 bathrooms, and a main hall and is ringed by an outdoor rooftop promenade. This floor was once used for staff bedrooms, but no staff currently live in the White House. The third floor contains a sun room (Solarium) atop the south portico with views of the south lawn, music room, work-out room, game room, as well as guest rooms for the first family. Visiting dignitaries are normally housed in the 2nd floor state bedrooms and foreign heads of state customarily stay at Blair House

Blair House

Blair House is the official state guest house for the President of the United States. It is located at 1651-1653 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., opposite the Old Executive Office Building of the White House, off the corner of Lafayette Park....

.

Further reading

• Garrett, Wendell. Our Changing White House. Northeastern University Press: 1995. ISBN 1-55553-222-5.
• McKellar, Kenneth, Douglas W. Orr, Edward Martin, et al. Report of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion. Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion, Government Printing Office: 1952.
• Seale, William. The President's House. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 1986. ISBN 0-912308-28-1.
• West, J.B. with Mary Lynn Kotz. Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies. Coward, McCann & Geoghegan: 1973. SBN 698-10546-X.
• The White House: An Historic Guide. White House Historical Association and the National Geographic Society: 2001. ISBN 0-912308-79-6.