Laura Ann Stankovitch, age 7, of Buffalo Grove, I11., for her question:

WHY IS THE WHITE HOUSE WHITE?

The beautiful and stately home at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D.C., is where the President of the United States lives and works. Visited by thousands of people each year, the White House was officially named by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902. Before that it had several names including the Executive Mansion and the President's Home.  Actually, the place where our President lives was painted white long before it was named the White House.

During the War of 1812, the British set fire to the mansion, leaving only blackened walls standing. Three years later, when the home was rebuilt, white paint was used to cover the entire building to hide the unsightly smoke stains. White it stayed, repainted of course many times as the years went by. Since its original construction in 1800, the White House has been added to, modernized and redecorated several times to better suit the needs and tastes of different Presidents. If you visit Washington, D.C., be sure to view the public rooms of the White House. They are beautiful and gracious and contain many historical documents and art objects of special significance.