# Has the White House always been 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651 "2014-05-17T19:54:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/21 "2014-05-18T22:09:07Z")
The [bowling alley](http://www.yelp.com/biz/harry-s-truman-bowling-alley-washington) is cool. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/22 "2014-05-19T06:52:49Z")
Hmm, valued at 326 million…I’ll offer 290 and see what they say. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/23 "2014-05-19T18:31:15Z")
Does the White House have its own unique zip code? ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/24 "2014-05-19T18:39:53Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > Hmm, valued at 326 million…I’ll offer 290 and see what they say. You could always rent! 1.76M/mo estimate. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/25 "2014-05-19T18:48:43Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Does the White House have its own unique zip code? 20500, it appears. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/26 "2014-05-19T18:50:09Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Does the White House have its own unique zip code? Yes, it is 20500 in the middle of the 20006 zip code. It’s very common for businesses and institutions that get large volumes of mail to have their own zip codes. Probably every city in the country has some. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/27 "2014-05-19T19:14:51Z")
Thanks. I imagine they use the extended 4 digits to specify departments within the White House. Certain large buildings on my university campus have a unique 9 digit zip. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/28 "2014-05-19T19:31:21Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve read that in Tokyo, buildings are numbered in the order they’re constructed. So you could be traveling down a street and see consecutive buildings numbered 41, 5, 708, 94, 393, 77. Must be tough to be a Japanese mailman. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/29 "2014-05-19T19:53:01Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Must be tough to be a Japanese mailman. Read Dave Barry’s book **Dave Barry Does Japan** about the difficulties of trying to find a address in Tokyo, and the total lack of beauty and sense to the streets, not to mention the total chaos of what stores you’ll find in the same area. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/30 "2014-05-19T20:48:58Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’ve read that in Tokyo, buildings are numbered in the order they’re constructed. So you could be traveling down a street and see consecutive buildings numbered 41, 5, 708, 94, 393, 77. I believe that’s in order of construction _on each block_. As far as I know, only main streets were named, and most streets had no sort of name at all. The The fundamental units went something like “district”. “neighbourhood”, “block”, “building”. I expect some actual Japan-dwellers will be along to correct me. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/31 "2014-05-20T00:11:49Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I believe that’s in order of construction _on each block_. As far as I know, only main streets were named, and most streets had no sort of name at all. The The fundamental units went something like “district”. “neighbourhood”, “block”, “building”. > > I expect some actual Japan-dwellers will be along to correct me. Yes, the Japanese addressing system is completely different from the western one. It is not based on street names because most streets do not have names. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/32 "2014-05-20T00:18:09Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Yes, the Japanese addressing system is completely different from the western one. It is not based on street names because most streets do not have names. I once had a horse with no name. Went riding through the desert on him, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/33 "2014-05-20T01:29:27Z")
How about the phone number? Is it still PENNsylvania Six Five Oh Oh Oh…? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/34 "2014-05-20T02:16:27Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > How about the phone number? Is it still PENNsylvania Six Five Oh Oh Oh…? I don’t know if this is a whoosh, but that phone number in the song is talking about the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City. And I have called the hotel and they do still use the number. They also have an instrumental version of the song playing as background music during your call. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/35 "2014-05-20T02:18:53Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I don’t know if this is a whoosh, but that phone number in the song is talking about the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City. And I have called the hotel and they do still use the number. They also have an instrumental version of the song playing as background music during your call. Not intended as a whoosh. I always thought it was allegedly the White House phone number. Thanks for fighting my ignorance! ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/36 "2014-05-20T03:35:14Z")
An interesting question is whether Washington always used what was later called the “Philadelphia style” addressing method, where house numbers match up with numbered cross streets. The best-known counterexample is Manhattan, where addresses on the avenues bear no obvious relationship to the cross streets. Today most of the country takes it for granted that 1601 Maple will be at the corner of 16th Street, but numbered streets were introduced in Chicago two decades before “Philadelphia style” house numbering was. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/37 "2014-05-20T04:22:00Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > This is a [picture](http://www.whitehousehistory.org/history/white-house-timelines/images/african-americans-1830s.jpg) of the White House in the 1830’s. [**This page**](http://www.whitehousehistory.org/whha_classroom/classroom_K-3-leadership.html) by the White House Historical Association has pix of the White House down through the years (and centuries), including the first photograph of it taken in 1846. > [@](#): > > President Harry Truman had a lot of repairs done between 1948 and 1952. The old White House was falling apart. All the inside rooms were replaced and two basements were dug below the ground. The outside walls were saved. Thank goodness the basements were dug _below_ ground. The Lincoln bedroom, like every other room, can be only 66 years old at most, so if Lincoln slept there, he used a time machine. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/38 "2014-05-20T04:34:29Z")
In my neighborhood, that’s a teardown. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/39 "2014-05-20T04:57:55Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Fun fact. If you google 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, you get a link to this Zillow real estate listing [http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1600-Pennsylvania-Ave-NW-Washington-DC-20006/84074482\_zpid/](http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1600-Pennsylvania-Ave-NW-Washington-DC-20006/84074482_zpid/) > > Apparently this single family home (The White House) has an attached garage and forced air heat. That is one of the most charming things I’ve seen on the internet. Thanks. 🙂 I liked this bit: > [@](#): > > Among Downtown homes, this home is valued 70406% more than the midpoint (median) home, and is valued 903% more per square foot.… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651/40 "2014-05-20T06:21:19Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > In my neighborhood, that’s a teardown. For most practical purposes, it was a teardown. They literally hollowed out the building and only kept the exterior walls. > **[Jason Gaston](https://jasongaston.net/)** > > I've come here to do two things: Blog and chew bubblegum and I'm all out of bubblegum. [http://assets.nationaljournal.com/gutted-2.jpg](http://assets.nationaljournal.com/gutted-2.jpg) [![](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/photo_2011_02_15_white_house_interior.jpg) ](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/photo_2011_02_15_white_house_interior.jpg) [![](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/photo_2011_02_15_white_house_interior_3.jpg) ](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/photo_2011_02_15_white_house_interior_3.jpg) [![](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/photo_2011_02_15_white_house_interior_5.jpg) ](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/photo_2011_02_15_white_house_interior_5.jpg) [![](https://i.insider.com/5131085a6bb3f7440500000c) ](https://i.insider.com/5131085a6bb3f7440500000c) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/White-house-1950-interior-shell.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/White-house-1950-interior-shell.jpg) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-white-house-always-been-1600-pennsylvania-avenue/688651.md?page=3)