Learn About the White House This President’s Day
The White House is probably the only house in America that every citizen knows the address by heart. It is the most famous house in the country because it serves as the residence of the First Family. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is also notorious for being behind the times in regards to technology and even architecture. That said, plumbing was not one of those things. The White House was one of the first homes in America to have indoor plumbing, and that’s not all. There are many weird facts about The White House that homeowners might find interesting, including the ones in this article!
Pennsylvania Ave Gets Indoor Plumbing
During John Quincy Adams’ presidency from 1825-1829, the White House got indoor plumbing. Adams was an avid gardener and always had water brought to the White House. The president had a garden pump put in that supplied the White House with water, and that was the extent of the plumbing system at this time.
It was not until 1833 when Andrew Jackson first had piping installed into the White House. This piping allowed for clean drinking water directly in the White House and quickly led to bathtubs and showers being installed into the home. By 1853, the White House had a flushing toilet.
This might seem like it took the White House a while to actually get usable indoor plumbing, but believe it or not, the White House was still one of America’s first homes with a flushing toilet in 1853.
The Custom Bathtub Designed For President Taft
By the time William Howard Taft became president, the White House plumbing system was slightly more sophisticated. Taft was considered a political “heavyweight,” topping the scales at 350 pounds.
In an unfortunate turn of events, Taft found himself stuck in the White House bathtub during his presidency, and as history has it, this is one of the only things he is remembered for today. However, Taft avenged himself by having a custom bathtub designed for the White House.
That said, there apparently isn’t much evidence to prove this story accurate, but it is still what he is notorious for today.
Taft quickly searched for a bathtub big enough to hold himself and soon realized that Manhattan couldn’t provide such a thing. There wasn’t a bathtub on the market during that time that could comfortably hold a man of this stature. So, Taft designed a bathtub that was 41 inches wide and seven feet long and weighed a literal ton. The bathtub could fit four average-sized men in it comfortably.
The “Plumbers” of Watergate
The White House later created a secret group led by G. Gordon Liddy called The White House Plumbers or The Plumbers for short. Established during Nixon’s time in 1971, the group’s primary mission was to find out who was leaking classified information during this time, such as Pentagon Papers.
Some of the things watergate and The Plumbers are known for are:
- Gathering incriminating evidence on the supposed spies, to then leak that information to the media
- Nixon ordered a burglary of the Brookings Institution
- Tried to dig up dirt on Ellsberg by feeding false stories to the media
As many people know, the infamous Watergate Scandal ended in President Nixon’s resignation and jail time for others involved.
Zing Plumbing Work Hard For Tucson Residents
The professionals at Zing Plumbing might not work at the White House, but they have the skills necessary to get the job done efficiently. Customers can trust they will always have excellent customer service, as well as insurance. Zing Plumbing is there no matter what. Call today to schedule plumbing services in Tucson!
