The Scots who built The White House

Recently we published a blog all about the Scots who built New York so it will come as no surprise that the Scots were involved in the building of the White House, and The White House Historical Association tartan was created to promote the history of the Scottish stone masons who were instrumental in the building of the White House. Each colour represents a key aspect of the White House: blue symbolises the Bellange furniture of the Blue Room, decorated in 1817 during the James Monroe presidency; green represents the Green Room, decorated in 1818 by James Monroe; red symbolises the Red Room, which was furnished with bold red silks during the James Polk administration in 1845; Grey represents the Scottish stone works, including the famous "Double Scottish Rose" that adorns the White House and white represents the White House as a whole. We have produced a range of products that can now be purchased through the White House Historical Association website and museum shop.

We were very lucky to receive a copy of the beautiful book produced to tell the story of the building of The White House, from Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association. Stewart himself has Scottish roots with his ancestors travelling from Scotland ten generations ago and arriving via the Cape Fear Valley of North Carolina. The Old Aquia quarry is where it all began, now quiet, but two hundred years ago the site where workers cut stone in Virginia and moved it along the Potomac river to Washington, where it was shaped and carved ready to built the mighty mansion we know today. Skilled Scottish stonemasons were sought after for their craftsmanship, and it was these men who travelled from Scotland in the eighteenth century to help build the President's House, along with many less skilled men who became labourers. This stone was not just ordinary fieldstone, rock or blocks used on houses and buildings in Virginia's Blue Ridge, the president had specified refined, dressed stone walls and carving, which required talented and experienced workers.

Collen Williamson was the Scot who became the general supervisor of the stonework on the President's House, including the requirement to find twenty or thirty skilled stonemasons to complete the work. Williamson was the son of a stonemason and came from the Grampian region in Scotland, well known for it's granite to this day. He worked for Sir Ludovick Grant, of Castle Grant, the old seat of Clan Grant, before moving on to build a house for the laird at Moy, until Sir Ludovick's eldest son challenged him and took over the gentry house using John Adam to finish the work. It isn't very clear where Williamson went from there however he appeared at Suter's Fountain Inn in 1792 to take on his biggest challenge yet.

The stone walls have survived some turbulent times including the fires set by the British in 1814, followed by major renovations in 1902. President Harry S. Truman took out the entire interior in 1948, however he insisted on retaining the original outer walls to preserve the authenticity of the building and can no doubt tell us many stories and secrets of Presidents over the years since George Washington planted his stake on August 2, 1792 to locate the residence.

For all that Williamson's work was outstanding, it seems that his temperament was not so good, and it was this that was his downfall and resulted in his agreement not being renewed in 1795. George Walker, a well known Philadelphia merchant and also a Scot, was the man who took a letter from the commissioners to Edinburgh to seek more stonemasons, while there on a buying trip. Scots stonemasons were sought after across Europe and these craftsmen were prepared to travel to escape the economic uncertainly in Scotland due to the Jacobite rebellion. Walker managed to sign up six more masons for the White House including two fine carvers Robert Brown and James McIntosh, who all sailed from the west coast of Scotland to Norfolk in Virginia. It was illegal for them to make this journey but they were desperate enough to make money to send home.

The workmen were provided with small wooden cottages, one room about 12 x 12 feet, lined up to create a little village full of stonemasons, carpenters, bricklayers and other trades brought in from all over. The Edinburgh men kept themselves separate and in Layfayette Park, where you can find Andrew Jackson's statue today, carpenter's hall was built. During the week chiselling and sawing was carried out and the huge beams to hold the White House were built, then on Sundays the Scots used this simple space for Presbyterian worship and founded a church called St Andrew's. Carpenter's hall was also used as a meeting place for the Masonic Lodge for Scots and their fellow workmen, including Hoban and Williamson who created what was at that time as Lodge Number 15, and today continues in Washington as Federal Lodge Number 1.

Each Aquia stone was brought from the quarry to the stone yard and split, where they were then given an individual identity and drawings made of each so they could be laid out side by side and arranged to fill in the gaps. Robert Brown and James McIntosh inspected the stones reserved for carving with garlands or classical borders, creating wooden templates to ensure once the dressed stones were placed on the house, each carving matching perfectly with no joins showing. These patterns of work were the same as those in the New Town in Edinburgh, and despite efforts by the commissioners to encourage the use of steam-cutting machines, the craftsmen completed the entire house by hand. Even the Aquia stone had a similar composition to the Craigleith stone used in Edinburgh. And so George Washington's desire for elaborate carving was carried out to perfection. Pediment hoods and carved architectural borders decorate all the State Floor windows to the north, east and west sides of the The White House.

President Washington crossed the country in his coach in Spring 1797 to view the almost finished building, was happy with progress and it is said that he never returned after that to see the full completion of his project, saying that he "never demanded perfection, only completion". By Fall the exterior stone was completed, however due the the porous nature of Aquia stone, the Scots advised using the same technique as they had on the Craigleith stone, coating it with a thick layer of whitewash. President John Adams moved in on 1st November, 1800 and by 1802 the huge white structure was being called "The White House" by passers by.