Under the administration of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy refurbished the White House and established the White House Historical Association to preserve the history of the White House. She also brought an elegance to the White House that helped establish the White House as a cultural center. Finally, the Kennedy administration brought a youthfulness to the White House.

May 15, 1800 letter of President John Adams directly that the government be moved from Philadelphia to the newly completed White House in the District of Columbia.