Outlandish Stories from Inside the Executive Mansion

1. The British occupied the nation’s capital city and burned the White House in retaliation for the Raid on Port Dover

After defeating the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg in the War of 1812, a British force led by Major General Robert Ross marched on Washington D.C. on August 24, 1814. Inspired by the American destruction of Port Dover between May 14-16 earlier that year, the retaliatory attack saw the first and only time since the American Revolutionary War that a foreign power captured and occupied the capital of the United States. Forcing the government to flee, establishing the “Capital for a Day” at Brookeville, Maryland, after setting the Capitol ablaze, the British turned northwest up Pennsylvania towards the White House (then known as the Presidential Mansion).

Urged by her husband to be prepared to evacuate, First Lady Dolley Madison had organized the household staff to save the most important treasures from the residence, including most famously the Lansdowne portrait of George Washington valued today at over twenty million dollars. Burning the White House, the following day a heavy thunderstorm accompanied by a tornado passed through the city putting out the raging infernos. Nevertheless, only the exterior walls of the original property remained, requiring demolition during subsequent reconstruction, beginning in 1815, due to critical damage sustained during the event.

Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:

“Elvis Presley – A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions”, Ernst Jorgensen, St. Martin’s Press (1998)

“Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley”, Peter Guralnick, Back Bay Books (1999)

“Ghosts in the White House”, History Magazine (October 29, 2009)

“The Madness of Mary Lincoln”, Jason Emerson, Southern Illinois University Press (2007)

“The President Did What?: Presidential Trivia Quiz”, Nancy Ragno, CreateSpace Independent Publishers (2014)

“Mr. T dressed as Santa. Nancy Reagan sat on his lap. It was the most shocking first lady photo ever”, Katie Mettler, The Washington Post (December 21, 2008)

“The Story Behind Nancy Reagan’s Friendship with Mr. T”, Linda Qui, Politifact (March 8, 2016)

“The Time a Stolen Helicopter Landed on the White House Lawn: Robert Preston’s Wild Ride”, Christopher Freeze, Smithsonian Air & Space (April 2017)

“The (Real) Story of the White House and the Big Block of Cheese”, Megan Garber, The Atlantic (January 21, 2015)

“Ronald Reagan in the Nude: Former White House Usher Skip Allen Tells All”, Jordyn Phelps, ABC News (April 23, 2015)

“The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House”, Kate Anderson Bower, Harper Publishing (2016)