Virtual Tour - President's House
The President’s House
The President’s House at American Village is believed to be the only full size replica of the Robert Morris House (Philadelphia White House) in existence today. The James B. and Sylvia S. Braswell President’s House began as a Southern Living® Showcase House in 2006-2007, with bedrooms upstairs; a den, kitchen and dining room downstairs. After a year of tours, it was redecorated, and now serves as the administrative offices for the Citizenship Trust (American Village).
The Philadelphia White House (Robert Morris House)
The inspiration for the President’s House at American Village is the former Robert Morris House in Philadelphia.
The house was built in 1767 by Mary Lawrence Masters. In 1772, Richard Penn, a grandson of William Penn, used it as the Governor’s Mansion for the colony of Pennsylvania. It served as General Sir William Howe’s headquarters 1777-78 during the British occupation of Philadelphia.
Robert Morris bought the house in 1780, and lived there while he served as Superintendent of Finance. In 1790, he rented the house to Philadelphia for Washington’s use. It served as Washington’s “White House” for more than 6 years (1790-97) and John Adams’s for almost 4 years (1797-1800).
The house included a Stair Hall and a State Dining Room (in red), looking toward the Yellow Drawing Room. Washington added a “bow” window, the inspiration for the Oval Rooms of the White House. It is said that he greeted guests at the bow window.
In 1832, the building was gutted, leaving only the side walls and the foundations, and three narrow stores were built within the frontage. Most of the western wall was removed by 1941, and what remained of it along with the eastern wall were demolished in 1951 to create Independence Mall.
