News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection (Library of Congress) ~ Creator: O'Halloran, Thomas J.
20540 USA ~ Creator: National Photo Company ~ Date: Admiral's House, Naval Observatory ~ Source: Getty Images / / Photo by TOH.
~ Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. ~ Source: Accessed through Wiki Commons ~ Date: circa 1895 Admiral's House, Naval Observatory ~ Naval Observatory, : Photograph shows the United States Naval Observatory, 3450 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. In the early twentieth century, as part of the Colonial Revival movement the brick was painted white. The Queen Ann style house was originally designed to have terra cota brick exposed. ownership) Media Images Admiral's House, Naval Observatory: 1895 photograph of One Observatory Circle, official home of the Vice President of the United States. The third floor attic was originally servants' quarters and storage space, and the kitchen was placed in the basement, along with a laundry room and other storerooms.ĭC Inventory: Novem(Joint Committee on Landmarks)Įxempt from National Register listing (under U.S. The second floor contains two bedrooms, a study, and a den. On the ground floor are a reception hall, living room, sitting room, sun porch, dining room and small pantry, and lavatories added later to the north side. The three-story brick house-completed in April 1893-is compact, 39 by 77 feet, with 9,150 square feet of floor space. His successor, Walter Mondale (1977-1981), was the first Vice President to actually live at the residence. Nelson Rockefeller (1974-77) was, therefore, the first Vice President to use the home. Winter (Oct - June): Educational Centres: Fri: 10am and 12 Noon. Expert guided visits in Spanish with a duration of one and a half hours.
Finally, in 1974, Congress agreed to refurbish the house at the Naval Observatory as a home for the Vice President. containing numerous antique books along with a collection of instruments, such as a Repsold meridian circle dating back to 1854. Historically, Vice Presidents and their families had lived in their own homes, but the cost of securing these private residences grew substantially over the years. Originally intended for the superintendent of the USNO, the house was so lovely that in 1923, the chief of naval operations kicked out the superintendent so he could move in himself. Located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO), the white, 19th-century house at Number One Observatory Circle was built in 1893. Admiral's House, Naval Observatory Since 1974, this building has served as the official residence of the Vice President of the United States.