The house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has had the rare distinction of being inhabited by all of our presidents except George Washington. The cornerstone was laid in 1792 and the mansion completed in 1800. However, it was burned by the British during the War of 1812 and had to be rebuilt. The oldest public structure in Washington, it is a perfect example of the late Eighteenth Century Renaissance and has the simple dignity of a gracious American home.