The cornerstone of the White House was laid in 1792.

Although George Washington was the first president, he was not the first to live in the White House. At the start of Washington’s term, the capital of the United States was Philadelphia, PA. The city of Washington, DC was declared the nation’s capital in 1790. The cornerstone of the White House was laid in 1792, and John Adams (the second president) and his wife Abigail moved in eight years later. So begins the story of a building whose image has become synonymous with the world’s most enduring democracy, and so also begins a mystery. On this day in 1792, a group of Freemasons walked from Georgetown to the White House building site and laid the cornerstone for the building, but today, we do not know where that cornerstone is. There is only one written account of the event, a letter stating that they laid the cornerstone at the southwest corner. This, however, contradicts the Freemasons' standard practice of laying the cornerstone at the northeast corner. Over the past 50 years, the cornerstone has been sought using everything from high-tech radar equipment to dowsing, but all that has been found so far is a marble box with an empty liquor bottle in it, probably hidden during the time of Prohibition.

EDSITEment
The curriculum unit From the White House of Yesterday to the White House of Today (3–5) helps students examine the construction and history of the White House. In this three-lesson curriculum unit, students take a close look at the design of the White House and some of the changes it has undergone. They also reflect on how the “President's House” has been and continues to be used.

The first lesson, How Was the White House Designed? (3–5), helps students learn about the process behind the original design of the structure while How and Why Has the White House Changed? (3–5), the second lesson, helps them trace some of the structural changes that have taken place over time. Finally, A President's Home and the President's House (3–5) has students compare and contrast Monticello with the White House.

During the War of 1812, the British burned the White House, forcing President James Madison and his wife, Dolley, to flee. (Dolley had the foresight to rescue what is now one of the most historic and beloved portraits of President Washington as they left.) In the three-part unit President Madison's 1812 War Message (9–12), students learn about the contexts and events of this war with our former rival and now great ally, Great Britain.