Was it built by slaves? The White House, What else?

"I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this House, and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof."      ~John Adams prayer in a letter to his wife

FDR had this prayer carved into the mantel of the dining room.

It was built by slaves 400-600. No one knows for sure because records of slaves were not considered important to be kept at the time so the exact number cannot be determined. The government paid slave owners to use their slaves, the government did not own slaves.  The construction began in 1792 but it was not ready for occupancy until 1800. John Adams,the 2nd president was the first to live in it.  

The war of 1812 the British ransacked and burned it, it is believed the ships that had the stolen property sank in route to Halifax.  Years later only two items original to the house were returned to the White House, one was the George Washington painting Abigail Adams saved and a jewelry box returned by a Canadian who claimed his father took during the war.

Thomas Jefferson added columns to the front and back to give it a stately Georgian- era southern plantation look. It has 6 levels with two floors underground.

The Smithsonian Institute keeps excess furniture for rotating out when needed. The staff consists of 100 permanent staff and can be hired and fired at will by the first family in residence.  There are 5 chefs.

The White House has a total of 132 rooms. This includes: 35 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators. 2. The White House measures at 55,000-square feet, 70-feet high, 170-feet wide, and 85-feet deep.

And finally if a woman president is elected her husband will be referred to as "The First Gentleman."   He will not most probably be picking out china, choosing menus or flower arrangements for dinners.