Former President George W Bush and his wife, Laura, stayed there in 2018 when they returned to the nation's capital for funeral services for Bush's father, President George HW Bush.Ī couple miles north on Massachusetts Avenue, the official vice-presidential residence on the gated grounds of the Naval Observatory was built in 1893, originally for the superintendent. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden slept at Blair House on the eve of his January 20 inauguration. The State Department began renting Blair House in 1942, and by the end of the year had purchased the house and its contents for a total of US$183,000.įoreign dignitaries and soon-to-be US presidents have enjoyed the accommodations. All of those guests were lobbying to meet with President Franklin D Roosevelt.īritish Prime Minister Winston Churchill even wandered White House halls in the wee hours in search of Roosevelt, according to Costello, making First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt unhappy. The Blair family sold the house to the US Government in the early 1940s, and it was turned into the president's official guest house.īy that time the White House had become overcrowded with guests, including members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, advisers, politicians, foreign dignitaries and others as the country prepared for World War II. The original Blair House was built in 1824 by Joseph Lovell, the army surgeon general, and later sold to journalist Francis Preston Blair. It has a staff of 18 full-time employees. The complex has approximately 109 rooms, including 15 guest rooms - each with a full bathroom - three formal dining rooms, two large conference rooms, two kitchens, a beauty salon, an exercise room and a laundry facility. In the meantime, Harris, her husband and any guests can explore Blair House, which has been expanded through the addition of three adjoining properties. No timetable for completing the work was given. ![]() Chimney liners in the Naval Observatory residence are being replaced and other unspecified maintenance is underway. It was unclear how long Harris will stay at Blair House. It takes Harris mere minutes to get to her offices across the street in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building and in the White House, compared with the roughly two-mile (3.2-kilometre) trip from the Naval Observatory by motorcade. ![]() “You can't beat that commute,” Costello quipped. Matthew Costello, The White House Historical Association's senior historian, took note of the house's secure location - along with a notable bonus for Harris, who is the first woman, first black person and first Indian American to be elected vice-president. The agency declined to comment on Harris's living arrangements. So Harris moved into Blair House, where President Harry Truman lived from 1948-1952 during major renovations to the White House.īlair House is on a part of Pennsylvania Avenue that is under constant surveillance by the US Secret Service, which provides security for the president and vice-president wherever they are. Mike Pence, Harris's predecessor, cleared out at the end of the Trump Administration earlier this month. But the home needs a touch-up, and officials said it's best for the work to be done while the house is unoccupied. ![]() Vice-presidents have lived in a white, 19th century Victorian house on the grounds of the US Naval Observatory since the late 1970s, starting with Walter Mondale. Harris moved into Blair House the day after the January 20 inauguration, said spokesperson Symone Sanders. She's living temporarily at Blair House, the president's official guest residence on Pennsylvania Avenue across from the White House, while some repair work is done at the official vice-presidential home a few miles away on the grounds of the US Naval Observatory.Īsked what her first job would be, as she strolled the Inauguration Day parade route with her husband, Doug Emhoff, Harris told a reporter, “Walking to work.” WASHINGTON, DC, United States (AP) - Vice-President Kamala Harris can't beat the work commute. So Vice-President Kamala Harris andher husband, Doug Emhoff, are spending these early days of the Biden Administration at Blair House,across the street from the White House. Repairs are needed on the residence andofficials say it's best to make them while the house is unoccupied. This March 16, 2018, file photo shows the official residence of the vice-president of the United Stateson the ground of the US Naval Observatory in Washington.
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