Presidential mansion?

[bill]

In a report on Cindy's arrest yesterday, NPR refered to the white house as "the presidential mansion". I've beeen around for 40+ years and I don't think I've heard that term.

Am I mildly brain damaged or just provincial?

[Skidmore]

1. That's what it has become over the centuries, and with *

ensconced, I'm surprised they didn't refer to it as the imperial palace.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. I think I remember the White House used to be called something like

the presidential mansion. During Teddy Roosevelt's tenure, because of its exterior color, the name was changed to the White House.

[Missy M]

3. It sure is a mansion and a pretty opulent one at that.

[Fridays Child]

4. Oops. NPR meant to say "presidential feudal castle."

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

5. Or as some of us prefer to call it...

...The Pig Farm.

[Benhurst]

6. How about The Pig Farm East?

[JHB]

7. Not being Bill Frist, I'll have to say "provincial"

It's been "the presidential mansion" since it was built. I'm sure a google search will turn up the story of how it got it's now-more-commonly-used nickname.

[bigbrother05]

8. After the War of 1812 <edit to correct my ignorance>

When the Brits fired on it. Following repairs, the facade was painted white to hide the tell-tale patching and scorched marks. After that it started to be called the White House. Believe it originally was the typical stone construction seen on so many of the DC public buildings.

Edit> Well, so much for conventional wisdom. Here's the WH history website:

http://www.whitehousehistory.org/06/subs/06_a.html