Diane Runge, age 14, of Richmond, Va., for her question:

How did the White House get its name?

George Washington described the kind of house that the President of the United States should occupy, and in 1792 a contest was held to find the most suitable design. The cornerstone was laid in that same year, and for a time the splendid building at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was known as the President’s House or the President’s Mansion.

In 1814 the building was burned by the British. It was badly marred, and its walls of gray sandstone were stained with smoke. When the damage was repaired it was decided to cover the smoke stains with white paint, and the President’s House became a white house called the White House. The handsome house also is known as the Executive Mansion.