Who set the White House on fire?

On August 24,1814, during the War of 1812, British troops entered Washington, D.C. and set fire to many public buildings including the White House, in revenge for the American burning of York (now Toronto) in 1813.

President Madison had fled to safety two days previously but his wife, Dolley, remained behind to gather important state papers. She managed to save what turned out to be a copy of a portrait of George Washington and a copy of the Declaration of Independence before fleeing and meeting her husband in Brookeville, Maryland.

A tornado and accompanying rain doused the flames and saved many of the public buildings from being completely ruined. The British retreated to their ships and departed after the twenty-six hour occupation of the capital.

After the fire, James Hoban, the original architect, was commissioned to lead the rebuilding of the White House. Only the exterior walls remained, and they had to be torn down and mostly reconstructed because of weakening from the fire and subsequent exposure to the elements, except for portions of the south wall.

In 1817, the building was completed and President James Monroe moved in.

At various times in history, the White House has been known as the “President’s Palace,” the “President’s House,” and the “Executive Mansion.”

President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.