6 D.C. homes once owned by U.S. Presidents

Typically, the White House is seen as the one and only residence of U.S. Presidents, but there are a wide variety of homes in the nation’s capital with political connections. Below, take a look at some of the many single-family homes (and one hotel!) where these head honchos previously resided.

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Photo via HomeVisit

Barack Obama

Kalorama

After months of renting this single-family home, the Obamas purchased it for $8.1 million in May 2017. The eight-bedroom, nine-and-a-half-bath home was previously owned by Bill Clinton press secretary Joe Lockhart and his wife, Giovanna Gray Lockhart. The home was constructed in the 1920s and renovated and expanded in 2011. With 8,200 square feet of space, the listing offers a fully finished lower level, au-pair suite, and a gated courtyard with enough space for up to 10 cars.

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Photo via Wikimedia Commons/AgnosticPreachersKid

Woodrow Wilson

Dupont Circle

This National Historic Landmark was once the residence of President Woodrow Wilson, built in 1915 by architect Waddy B. Wood. This three-story, red brick building was originally built for Henry Parker Fairbanks. Wilson’s widow, Edith, presented the house and many of its furnishings to the National Trust for Historic Preservation in order to preserve the property as a memorial to Wilson.

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Photo via Google Street View

Bill Clinton

Massachusetts Avenue Heights

Near the Naval Observatory, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton lived in this 1951-built single-family home, known as Whitehaven. The Clintons purchased the five-bedroom property in 2000 for $2.85 million. The entire structure pans 5,500 square feet with a pool and a terrace.

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Abraham Lincoln

Fort Totten

In order to escape from the humidity and also the intense political pressures of Washington, D.C., President Abraham Lincoln and his family would sometimes reside in this home. The c. 1842-built property also served as a “summer White House” for Presidents Chester A. Arthur, Rutherford B. Hayes, and James Buchanan. President Lincoln’s Cottage, also known as Anderson Cottage, housed mored than just presidents, though. For five years, it served as an asylum for old and disabled veterans. Now, a national monument, the property is a museum that offers public programs and special events about Lincoln and the Civil War.

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Photo via Wikimedia Commons/Steveturphotg

James Madison

Downtown

From 1814 to 1815, James Madison and his wife, Dolley, lived in the Octagon House after British troops set fire to the White House. The Octagon House, otherwise known as the Colonel John Tayloe III House, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. It currently is used as a museum, restored to its 19th century appearance. The museum is administered by the American Institute of Architects Foundation.

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Photo via Ron Cogswell

Calvin Coolidge

Downtown

When he served as Vice President to President Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge temporarily lived in The Willard, now known as the Willard InterContinental. Located two blocks away from the White House, the hotel also temporarily hosted Abraham Lincoln during the weeks before his inauguration. It is also the site where Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his “I Have a Dream” speech.

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The Octagon House

1799 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 202 638 3221