{{Short description|Official residence of the vice president of the United States}} {{Use American English|date=November 2025}} {{Use mdy dates |date=November 2019}} {{Infobox Historic building | name = Number One Observatory Circle | alternate_names = The Vice President's Residence | image = Number One Observatory Circle; December 2017.jpg | image_size = 300px | caption = The Vice President's Residence in 2017 | pushpin_map = | map_caption = | coordinates = {{coord|38.9229553|-77.0654258|format=dms|region:US-DC_type:landmark|display=inline, title}} | address = 1 Observatory Circle NW, [[U.S. Naval Observatory]], [[Washington, D.C.]] 20008-3619, U.S. | current_tenants = [[JD Vance]], Vice President of the United States and the Second Family | architect = [[Leon E. Dessez]] | floor_area = <!-- {{convert|55000|sqft|abbr=on}} --> | client = | engineer = | construction_start_date = | completion_date = 1893 | structural_system = | architectural_style = [[Queen Anne style architecture in the United States|Queen Anne]] | size = 33 rooms | website = }}
'''Number One Observatory Circle''' is the [[official residence]] of the [[vice president of the United States]]. Located on the grounds of the [[U.S. Naval Observatory]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], it is sometimes informally referred to simply as "'''the Naval Observatory'''".<ref>{{cite news |last=Viser |first=Matt |author2=Carol D. Leonnig |title=Harris to delay move into vice-presidential residence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/harris-to-delay-move-into-vice-presidents-home/2021/01/20/e4082338-5b9c-11eb-b8bd-ee36b1cd18bf_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=January 20, 2021 |access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Colvin |first=Jill |title=Classified documents at Pence's home, too, his lawyer says |url=https://apnews.com/article/mike-pence-classified-documents-791bba57abaf50377f0938f0d293f36e |work=Associated Press |date=January 24, 2023 |access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Shalal |first=Andrea |title=White House going to the dogs as Biden pets Major and Champ move in |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/world/us/white-house-going-to-the-dogs-as-biden-pets-major-and-champ-move-in-idUSKBN29O2Q1/ |work=Reuters |date=January 19, 2021 |access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref> The house was built in 1893 for the observatory's superintendent. The U.S. Navy's [[chief of naval operations]] (CNO) liked the house so much that in 1923 he took over the house from the superintendent for himself. It remained the residence of the CNO until 1974, when [[United States Congress|Congress]] determined that it would be easier and less expensive to provide security in a government-provided residence, and authorized its transformation to the first official residence for the vice president, though a temporary one. It is still the "official temporary residence of the vice president of the United States" by law. The 1974 congressional authorization covered the cost of refurbishment and furnishing the house.
Although Number One Observatory Circle was made available to the vice president in 1974, more than two years passed before a vice president lived full-time in the house. Vice President [[Gerald Ford]] became president before he could use the house. His vice president, [[Nelson Rockefeller]], primarily used the home for official entertainment as he already had a well-secured residence in Washington, D.C.,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Denyer |first1=Charles |title=Number One Observatory Circle: The Home of the Vice President of the United States |year=2017 |publisher=Cambridge Klein Publishers |isbn=978-0-9987642-0-7 |page=14 |url=https://oneobservatorycircle.com/the-home-of-the-vice-president-of-the-united-states/ |quote=In September 1974, the stately Queen Anne-style home on the grounds of the Observatory formally opened as the home of the vice president of the United States, but with no tenant, since the sitting vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, decided to stay put at his luxurious mansion in Northwest DC. |access-date=April 30, 2019 |archive-date=August 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804170837/https://oneobservatorycircle.com/the-home-of-the-vice-president-of-the-united-states/ |url-status=live }}</ref> though the Rockefellers donated millions of dollars' worth of furnishings to the house. [[Walter Mondale]] was the first vice president to move into the house. Every vice president since has lived there.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/1600/vp-residence |title=The Vice President's Residence |website=[[White House]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021225638/http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/vp_residence/ |archive-date=October 21, 2009}}</ref><ref name="USA-Vice">{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/24/where-does-vice-president-live-few-people-know-but-new-book-show-you/892243001/|last=Groppe|first=Maureen|title=Where does the vice president live? Few people know, but new book will show you|publisher=USA Today|date=November 24, 2017|access-date=October 12, 2024}}</ref>
== History == ===Early history=== [[File:1OC1895.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.35|The [[Queen Anne style architecture in the United States|Queen Anne style]] house in 1895; built of [[terracotta]] brick, it was unpainted until 1960]]
The house at One Observatory Circle was designed by architect [[Leon E. Dessez]] and built in 1893 for $20,000 (equivalent to ${{Inflation|US|20000|1893|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation-year|US}}) for the use of the superintendent of the Naval Observatory who was the original resident. It was built on {{convert|13|acre}} of land which had originally been part of a {{convert|73|acre|adj=on}} farm called Northview, which the Navy purchased in 1880.<ref name="lc"/> Northview had been the property of widow Margaret Barber, who at the time of the abolition of slavery in the District in 1862 was one of its largest slaveholders.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mirijanian |first1=Peter |last2=Planning |first2=Mark |date=2021-02-23 |title=Where slaves once toiled, Vice President Kamala Harris will soon call home |language=en |work=Roll Call |url=https://www.rollcall.com/2021/02/23/where-slaves-once-toiled-vice-president-kamala-harris-will-soon-call-home/ |access-date=2021-03-19}}</ref>
The Naval Observatory is located {{convert|2.5|mi|km|0}} from the [[White House]]<ref name="bi">{{cite news| last1=Weiss| first1=Brennan| last2=Wiley| first2=Melissa| date=August 20, 2020| title=Inside Number One Observatory Circle, the often overlooked but stunning residence where every vice president has lived since 1977| url=https://www.businessinsider.com/number-one-observatory-circle-photos-where-vp-pence-lives-2018-1| website=[[Business Insider]]| access-date=October 3, 2020| archive-date=November 8, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108000046/https://www.businessinsider.com/number-one-observatory-circle-photos-where-vp-pence-lives-2018-1| url-status=live}}</ref> and directly to its south is the [[Embassy of the United Kingdom, Washington, D.C.|British Embassy]].<ref name="csm">{{cite news| last=Grier| first=Peter| date=April 11, 2011| title=Obama has the White House, but where does Vice President Joe Biden live?| url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Decoder/2011/0421/Obama-has-the-White-House-but-where-does-Vice-President-Joe-Biden-live| newspaper=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]| access-date=January 20, 2021| archive-date=December 25, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225210253/https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Decoder/2011/0421/Obama-has-the-White-House-but-where-does-Vice-President-Joe-Biden-live| url-status=live}}</ref> The observatory was moved from [[Foggy Bottom]] to its present location the same year the house was completed and 12 observatory superintendents lived in what was then known as ''The Superintendent's House''. In 1928, with the passage of Public Law 630, Congress appropriated it for the [[Chief of Naval Operations|chief of naval operations]], and in June 1929, [[Charles Frederick Hughes|Charles Hughes]] became the first resident of what became known as ''Admiral's House''.<ref name="lc">{{cite book |last1=Cleere |first1=Gail S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7TtSzBbKLnsC&pg=PA39 |title=The House on Observatory Hill: Home of the Vice President of the United States |date=1990 |publisher=Oceanographer of the Navy |page=39 |access-date=November 15, 2019 |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121043140/https://books.google.com/books?id=7TtSzBbKLnsC&pg=PA39 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last=Cheney| first=Lynne V.| date=October 17, 2016| title=This Is Where Many Vice Presidents Have Lived| url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/dick-and-lynne-cheneys-historic-washington-dc-house| magazine=[[Architectural Digest]]| access-date=October 3, 2020| archive-date=November 9, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109151159/https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/dick-and-lynne-cheneys-historic-washington-dc-house| url-status=live}}</ref> For the next 45 years, it served as the home of admirals such as [[Richard H. Leigh|Richard Leigh]], [[Chester W. Nimitz|Chester Nimitz]], and [[Elmo Zumwalt]].<ref name="Renovation"/>
===Previous vice presidential residences and legislation=== {{Infobox U.S. legislation | shorttitle = Number One Observatory Circle | othershorttitles = | longtitle = Joint Resolution designating the premises occupied by the Chief of Naval Operations as the official residence of the Vice President, effective upon the termination of service of the incumbent Chief of Naval Operations. | colloquialacronym = | nickname = | enacted by = 93rd | announced in = | effective date = July 12, 1974 | public law url = | cite public law = {{uspl|93|346}} | cite statutes at large = {{usstat|88|340}} | acts amended = | acts repealed = | leghisturl = | introducedin = Senate | introducedbill = S.J. Res. 202 | introducedby = [[Hugh Scott]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]–[[Pennsylvania|PA]]) | introduceddate = April 3, 1974 | committees = [[United States Senate Committee on Armed Services|Senate Armed Services]] | passedbody1 = Senate | passeddate1 = May 16, 1974 | passedvote1 = [[unanimous consent]] | passedbody2 = House | passeddate2 = June 12, 1974 | passedvote2 = [https://www.congress.gov/93/crecb/1974/06/12/GPO-CRECB-1974-pt14-5-1.pdf 380–23] | agreedbody3 = Senate | agreeddate3 = June 26, 1974 | agreedvote3 = unanimous consent | agreedbody4 = House | agreeddate4 = June 28, 1974 | agreedvote4 = unanimous consent | signedpresident = [[Richard Nixon]] | signeddate = July 12, 1974 }}
Previously, serving vice presidents had lived in hotels or their own private homes.<ref name="nyt1"/> In 1923, to honor her late husband, Senator [[John B. Henderson]]'s widow offered to provide their newly built home as an official residence.<ref name="nyt2">{{cite news| date=January 26, 1923| title=Offers Gift of Residence For Use of Vice Presidents| url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1923/01/26/105843516.html?pageNumber=1| work=The New York Times| access-date=January 20, 2021| archive-date=January 21, 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121045835/https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1923/01/26/105843516.html?pageNumber=1| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="nyt1"/> President [[Calvin Coolidge]], who lived in a hotel when he served as vice president from 1921 to 1923, wrote in his autobiography that an "official residence with suitable maintenance should be provided for the Vice-President", and that the office "should have a settled and permanent habitation and a place, irrespective of the financial ability of its temporary occupant."<ref name="nyt2"/><ref name="nyt1">{{cite news| last=Taylor| first=Derrick Bryson| date=January 20, 2021| title=Do You Know Where the Vice President Lives?| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/politics/naval-observatory-vice-president.html| newspaper=The New York Times| access-date=January 20, 2021| archive-date=January 21, 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121031907/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/20/us/politics/naval-observatory-vice-president.html| url-status=live}}</ref>
After the [[assassination of John F. Kennedy]] in 1963, the new president [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] had to continue living at his private home in the [[Spring Valley (Washington, D.C.)|Spring Valley]] neighborhood of northwest Washington for two weeks, until Kennedy's widow and children could move out of the White House.<ref>McCluskey, Molly. [https://www.diplomaticaglobal.com/presidential-defiance/ "A Presidential Act of Defiance"], Diplomatica, November 24, 2022.</ref> This provoked security concerns, and in 1964, Johnson proposed the establishment of an official vice-presidential residence in a location with high security. In addition to the Naval Observatory, [[Fort McNair]] and [[Blair House]] were considered as potential sites.<ref>Timmons, Bascom N. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/clarion-ledger/197567701/ "Vice President May Get A Home"], ''[[Jackson Clarion-Ledger]]'', October 9, 1964, page 6.</ref>
In 1966, the House Public Works Committee approved the construction of a three-story vice presidential residence at the Naval Observatory. However, it was criticized as an extravagant expense by Republican congressmen, prominently including House Minority Leader [[Gerald Ford]], who would later become vice president and then president himself.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/evansville-courier-and-press/197568118/ "Home-for-Humphrey Action Postponed"], [[New York Herald Tribune|Herald Tribune News Service]], via the ''[[Evansville Courier and Press]]'', March 17, 1966, front page.</ref><ref>Clement, Brooke. [https://ford.blogs.archives.gov/2025/09/07/one-observatory-circle/ "One Observatory Circle"], [[Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum]] Blog, September 7, 2025.</ref> A month later, President Johnson suspended construction until the economy improved; construction never restarted.<ref name="nyt1"/>
The exact location was to be determined later by the [[Government Accountability Office|GAO]] and the Navy. Construction was to commence on the residence when funding was available once the [[Vietnam War]] was over. In the interim, the Secret Service paid for expensive upgrades to the private homes of vice presidents [[Hubert Humphrey]], [[Spiro Agnew]], and Gerald Ford. Agnew lived in his house for only three months in 1973 before [[Spiro Agnew#Criminal investigation and resignation|resigning]]; shortly after, he sold it at a large profit, in part because of the upgrades (additional quarters for the Secret Service, fences and a new driveway for example), paid for by the government. This resulted in a minor scandal. A subsequent investigation showed that it would be cheaper to immediately set up the new vice presidential residence rather than secure private homes.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}
===Rockefeller and Mondale=== In July 1974, Congress passed a new law to make Admiral's House the "official temporary residence of the vice president of the United States" effective upon the termination of service of the incumbent chief of naval operations. Work began on preparing Admiral's House to be the temporary vice president's residence later that fall, after [[Richard Nixon]]'s [[Presidency of Richard Nixon#Resignation|resignation]] and move of the CNO to [[Tingey House|Quarters A]] at the [[Washington Navy Yard|Navy Yard]].{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} The decision was largely made as it was increasingly expensive to add security and communicative equipment to each new vice presidential residence.<ref name="csm"/> Elmo Zumwalt was the last chief of naval operations to live in Number One Observatory Circle before it became the official residence of the [[Vice President of the United States|vice president]]. For Zumwalt, not pleased with the choice, this was reason enough to challenge [[Virginia]] senator [[Harry F. Byrd Jr.]] in the [[1976 United States Senate election in Virginia|1976 Senate election]].<ref name="google">{{cite book| title=Barbara Bush: A Memoir| author=Bush, Barbara| year=2010| publisher=Scribner| isbn=978-1-4516-0395-8| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q0qdrPsi0eEC| access-date=April 18, 2020| archive-date=August 1, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801101613/https://books.google.com/books?id=q0qdrPsi0eEC| url-status=live}}</ref>
The 1974 renovation replaced and updated building systems and increased the size of several rooms by removing internal walls. As a part of this renovation, the interior trim was painted white, and the walls had a palette of mostly neutral colors. Little consideration was given to historic preservation with interior or exterior spaces. No attempt was made to restore any interior space to its appearance at the period of construction or early use. The 1961-era white paint on the exterior was retained. Second-floor shutters, which appear in an 1895 photograph, were reinstalled.
[[File:Walter Mondale, Rosalynn Carter, Joan Mondale and Jimmy Carter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Vice President [[Walter Mondale]] and Second Lady [[Joan Mondale]] host President [[Jimmy Carter]] and First Lady [[Rosalynn Carter]] in 1977]]
The house formally opened as the vice presidential residence in September 1975.<ref name=haphapno>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jfJLAAAAIBAJ&pg=5332%2C3043712 |newspaper=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |location=Spokane |agency=[[Associated Press]] |title=Happy's happy with new official home |date=September 8, 1975 |page=7 |access-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121043147/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jfJLAAAAIBAJ&pg=5332%2C3043712 |url-status=live }}</ref> Vice President [[Gerald Ford]] would have been the first resident if President [[Richard Nixon]] had not resigned, leaving the White House to Ford.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/about-the-white-house/the-grounds/the-vice-presidents-residence-office/| title=The Vice President's Residence & Office| website=[[White House]]| access-date=October 3, 2020| archive-date=October 2, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002151443/https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/the-vice-presidents-residence-office/| url-status=live}}</ref> The new vice president [[Nelson Rockefeller]]<!--, the vice president at the time,--> chose to live in his larger private home instead and used Admiral's House only for entertaining.<ref name=ffrckflr>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mKVfAAAAIBAJ&pg=3178%2C2445840 |newspaper=[[Lewiston Morning Tribune]] |agency=The Washington Post |title=New VP house fit for a Rockefeller |date=September 8, 1975 |page=2A |access-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121043109/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mKVfAAAAIBAJ&pg=3178%2C2445840 |url-status=live}}</ref> In January 1977, [[Walter Mondale]] became the first vice president to live in the house, and it has served as the home of every vice president since.<ref name="USA-Vice" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Happy, Nelson Rockefeller open 2nd Washington Home |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19750907&id=nv8jAAAAIBAJ&pg=7154,2310795 |date=September 7, 1975 |newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Times |agency=[[United Press International]] |page=11A |via=Google News |access-date=December 31, 2015 |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121043110/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19750907&id=nv8jAAAAIBAJ&pg=7154%2C2310795 |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Later vice presidents=== Instead of building a new vice presidential residence, One Observatory Circle continued to have extensive remodels. In 1976, the Navy spent $276,000 to replace 22 window units with steam heat and central air conditioning; the leaky roof was replaced in 1980 with slate. In 1981, [[George H. W. Bush]] and Second Lady [[Barbara Bush|Barbara]] raised $187,000 for carpeting, furniture, and upholstery when they moved in.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/728769/where-do-vice-presidents-live/| title=Where future Vice President JD Vance will live when Donald Trump returns to the White House| date=November 7, 2024| work=[[Hello! (magazine)|Hello!]]| access-date=November 22, 2024}}</ref> The next year, the Navy spent $34,000 to repair the porch roof. Repairs to interior and exterior walls damaged by water seepage amounted to $225,000, and $8,000 more was spent to build a small master bedroom.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} Bush also constructed a [[horseshoe pit]] and quarter-mile track around the residence.<ref name="nyt1"/> During his eight years at the residence, Vice President Bush hosted over 900 parties.<ref name="book">{{cite news| last=Heil| first=Emily| date=October 17, 2017| title=Secrets of the vice president's residence revealed in new book| url=https://www.denverpost.com/2017/10/17/number-one-observatory-circle-review/| via=[[The Denver Post]]| access-date=October 3, 2020| newspaper=The Washington Post| archive-date=December 19, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219122455/http://www.denverpost.com/2017/10/17/number-one-observatory-circle-review/| url-status=live}}</ref>
<!--In 1989, new Vice President-->[[Dan Quayle]] delayed his move-in by a month in 1989 for an extensive $300,000 remodeling that included a rebuilt third floor with bedrooms suitable for children, a wheelchair-accessible entrance, and an upgraded bathroom off the vice president's room.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sante |first1=Mike |title=Renovating Quayle's Official Digs New Bedrooms, A Bath And A Bathtub Are Parts Of The Plan |url=http://articles.philly.com/1989-01-16/news/26121605_1_quayle-plans-david-beckwith-vice-presidential-mansion |date=January 16, 1989 |newspaper=[[Philadelphia Inquirer]] |access-date=February 9, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103181330/http://articles.philly.com/1989-01-16/news/26121605_1_quayle-plans-david-beckwith-vice-presidential-mansion |archive-date=January 3, 2016}}</ref> In 1991, a non-profit organization, the Vice President's Residence Foundation, was established to raise further funds to redecorate the residence.<ref name="bi"/>{{efn|group=note|name=VP47|Then-Vice President Joe Biden showed great appreciation for Quayle's addition. In 2010, he called Quayle his "favorite vice president" due to the pool,<ref name="bi"/> and, after leaving the house in 2017, told the incoming Pences, "you’re gonna love the pool".<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://washingtonlife.com/2017/12/05/inside-homes-the-vice-presidents-residence/| title=Inside Homes: The Vice President's Residence| last=Coyne| first=Virginia| date=December 5, 2017| magazine=Washington Life Magazine| access-date=October 3, 2020| archive-date=October 9, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009004428/https://washingtonlife.com/2017/12/05/inside-homes-the-vice-presidents-residence/| url-status=live}}</ref>}} A {{convert|525|ft2|0|adj=on}} sky-lit exercise room was added to the rooftop around that time, and numerous security enhancements were also performed.<ref name="Renovation">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/home-garden//1993/05/13/renovation/fa151804-6f43-4e81-a15c-bf2a5a413aa3/ |last1=Rogers |first1=Patricia Dane |title=Renovation |date=May 13, 1993 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=February 11, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305074024/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/home-garden//1993/05/13/renovation/fa151804-6f43-4e81-a15c-bf2a5a413aa3/ |archive-date=March 5, 2016}}</ref>
The Navy, responsible for upkeep on the residence, decided in 1991 that Congress would never build a permanent vice president's residence (ostensibly next door to Admiral's House) and opted instead to remodel and repair the house substantially. <!--Incoming Vice President -->[[Al Gore]] agreed to delay his move into the house by nearly six months in 1993 to allow for the largest renovation of the house since 1974.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19930714&id=HOcyAAAAIBAJ&pg=3627,2399310&hl=en |title=Gores Move Into Official Home |date=July 14, 1993 |newspaper=[[The Free Lance–Star]] |location=Fredericksburg, VA |access-date=February 16, 2016 |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121043113/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1298&dat=19930714&id=HOcyAAAAIBAJ&pg=3627%2C2399310&hl=en |url-status=live}}</ref> The $1.6 million repair job replaced the heating, air conditioning, plumbing, removed asbestos, rewired the house, replaced the ventilation systems, restored the porch, and upgraded the family quarters on the second floor.<ref name="New-home" /> Unlike prior additions, these habitability-focused renovations were carried out with taxpayer funds. Second Lady [[Tipper Gore]] built an electronic inventory of all the official household items passed down from administration to administration.<ref name="WTOP">{{cite news| url=https://wtop.com/lifestyle/2018/02/1-observatory-circle-history-behind-vice-presidents-house/| title=1 Observatory Circle: The history behind the vice president's house'| date=February 27, 2018| work=[[WTOP-FM]]| access-date=May 15, 2023}}</ref>
Vice President [[Dick Cheney]] and Second Lady [[Lynne Cheney]]'s changes to the residence included renovating the upstairs exercise room, redoing the kitchen pantry, and decorating the house in neutral colors.<ref name="WTOP" /><ref name="15-things">{{cite news| url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/15-things-didnt-know-vice-183156788.html| title=15 things you didn't know about the vice president's official residence, where Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff live| date=December 26, 2022| work=[[Insider Inc.]]| access-date=October 14, 2024}}</ref>
Vice President [[Kamala Harris]] and her husband [[Douglas Emhoff]] moved into Number One Observatory on April 7, 2021.<ref name=NYTimes07Apr21>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/06/us/politics/kamala-harris-naval-observatory.html|title= Harris Is Moving Into Newly Renovated Official Residence |date= April 7, 2021 |first1= Rogers |last1=Katie|work=[[New York Times]] |access-date= April 7, 2021 }}</ref> They temporarily resided at [[Blair House]] during the renovations<ref>{{cite news |last1=Koncius |first1=Jura |title=Vice President Harris to stay at Blair House while official residence undergoes repairs |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/kamala-harris-staying-at-blair-house/2021/01/22/81769922-5ccb-11eb-8bcf-3877871c819d_story.html |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=24 January 2021 |date=22 January 2021}}</ref> as they agreed to move in once the $3.8 million upgrades to the residence had been completed.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-washington-dc-residence-naval-observatory-renovations-2021-3| title=Kamala Harris is reportedly 'bothered' that she hasn't been able to move into her official Washington residence over 2 months after inauguration| date=March 28, 2021| website=Business Insider}}</ref><ref name=CBS20Jan21>{{cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kamala-harris-wont-be-moving-into-vice-presidents-residence-immediately/| title=Kamala Harris won't be moving into vice president's residence at Naval Observatory immediately| date=January 20, 2021| author=Perry, Tim| work=[[CBS News]]| access-date=January 20, 2021| archive-date=January 21, 2021| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210121043150/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kamala-harris-wont-be-moving-into-vice-presidents-residence-immediately/| url-status=live}}</ref> The repairs consisted of replacing chimney liners, heating, air-conditioning, and plumbing systems.<ref name="New-home">{{cite news| url=https://www.today.com/news/vp-kamala-harris-new-home-number-one-observatory-circle-t214211| title=The history behind Kamala Harris' new vice presidential residence| date=April 11, 2021| first=Scott| last=Stump| work=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]}}</ref> Harris was responsible for having the kitchen remodeled and the hardwood floors refurbished.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2021/03/27/vice-president-kamala-harris-living-suitcases/| title=VP Residence Renovation Mystery: 2 Months Into Office, Kamala Harris Is Still Waiting for Home| date=March 27, 2021| work=[[KPIX-TV|KPIX News]]| access-date=October 25, 2022}}</ref> On October, 2021, Emhoff affixed a white [[mezuzah]] to the right-hand side of the doorway of the residence's wooden entryway, which marked the first time an executive home in [[American history]] has carried the abiding sign of [[sanctity]] of a [[Jewish]] home.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/20/politics/mezuzah-vice-president-home/index.html|title=Second family becomes first to affix a mezuzah on executive home |date=20 November 2021|work=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/28/politics/national-menorah-lighting-doug-emhoff-hanukkah/index.html| title=Second gentleman attends National Menorah lighting ceremony: 'Jewish history is American history'| date=November 28, 2021| work=[[CNN]]| access-date=October 25, 2022}}</ref> On November 28, 2021, Harris and Emhoff became the first [[second couple]] to light a [[Hanukkah menorah|menorah]] in the window of the official residence in celebration of the first night of [[Hanukkah]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://people.com/politics/doug-emhoff-lights-national-menorah-on-first-night-of-hanukkah-jewish-history-is-american-history/| title=Doug Emhoff Lights National Menorah on First Night of Hanukkah: 'Jewish History is American History'| date=November 29, 2021| magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</ref> On April 15, 2022, Harris and Emhoff became the first known second family to host a [[Passover Seder]] at the vice president's residence.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/14/politics/kamala-harris-doug-emhoff-seder-naval-observatory/index.html| title= Second family to hold first known Passover Seder at vice president's residence| date=April 14, 2022| work=CNN}}</ref>
In 2024, Harris and Emhoff did not invite Vice President-elect [[JD Vance]] and the incoming second family to visit the home before moving in. Incoming second lady [[Usha Vance]] unsuccessfully sought information about the home from Harris's staff before communicating with Naval officials. Vance was concerned about childproofing the house to accommodate the couple's three young children, all under the age of 7, when they moved into the home in January 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Jennifer |date=2025-01-14 |title=Harris declines to invite Vance for courtesy visit to vice president's residence before inauguration |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/harris-jd-vance-vice-presidents-residence/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
<gallery class="center" widths="200" heights="200"> File:Vice President and Mrs. Bush at the Vice President's home at the Naval Observatory the day after the VP wins the election.jpg|President-elect [[George H. W. Bush]] and First Lady-designate [[Barbara Bush|Barbara]], after he was elected president on November 9, 1988 File:1OC2003.jpg|Number One Observatory Circle in 2001 File:Joe Biden and Dick Cheney at VP residence.jpg|Vice President [[Dick Cheney]] meeting with Vice President-elect [[Joe Biden]], on November 13, 2008 File:Mike and Karen Pence having lunch with Jill and Joe Biden - 2016.jpg|Vice President [[Joe Biden]] and Second Lady [[Jill Biden|Jill]] meeting with Vice President-elect [[Mike Pence]] and Second Lady-designate [[Karen Pence|Karen]], on November 16, 2016 File:Halloween at the Vice President's Residence 2019 (48995619023).jpg|Halloween festivities during the tenure of Vice President [[Mike Pence]] in 2019 File:Donald Trump and Melania Trump Join JD Vance and Usha Vance For Dinner - October 3, 2025.jpg|Vice President [[JD Vance]] and Second Lady [[Usha Vance]] host President [[Donald Trump]] and First Lady [[Melania Trump]], on October 2, 2025 </gallery>
== Architecture and decoration ==
=== Queen Anne style === [[File:1OCveranda.jpg|thumb|upright=1.0|A broad porch wraps around the front of the house, photographed during the tenure of Vice President [[Al Gore]]]]
The house is built in the [[Queen Anne Style architecture (United States)|Queen Anne style]] prevalent in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.<ref name="nyt1"/> Hallmarks of the Queen Anne style are an asymmetrical floor plan, a series of rooms opening to each other rather than a common central hall, round turret rooms, [[inglenook]]s near fireplaces, and broad verandas wrapping the ground floor, all of which are found at Number One Observatory Circle.
When the house was constructed, its exterior was faced with terracotta brick. The wood trim was painted in a warm putty-gray, and the wooden porch in a combination of putty-gray and white. Window frames and mullions were painted the same gray, and shutters were painted olive green. The interior was furnished mostly with the personal furnishings of the Naval Observatory superintendent and later those of the [[Chief of Naval Operations|chief of naval operations]]. Period photographs of the interior show middle-class nineteenth-century furnishings in various styles, including [[Eastlake Movement|Eastlake]]. Walls were covered in patterned wall papers.
By the first decade of the twentieth century, [[Victorian architecture|Victorian-style architecture]] had begun to fall out of fashion. Many houses that were initially built in brick or wood with complex paintings were simplified and "[[Colonial Revival architecture|colonialized]]" by being painted white. This frequently happened inside as well as outside. Substantial wood [[Millwork (building material)|millwork]] of [[mahogany]], [[Quarter Sawing|quarter-sawn]] oak, [[American chestnut]], and walnut were often painted over in white to "lighten" rooms and make them feel more contemporary.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} The home's exterior was originally dark red brick until 1960 when it was painted "feather" gray. It was changed to white with black shutters in 1963, and by 1993 was cream-colored.<ref name="Renovation"/>
===Layout=== The house is {{convert|9000|sqft|m2|0}} and includes 33 rooms.<ref name="nyt1"/><ref name=":1" /> The house's first floor has a dining room, garden room, living room, lounges, pantry kitchen, reception hall, sitting room, and veranda. The second floor contains the main bedroom suite, an additional bedroom, a den, and a study. The attic, once the servants' quarters, now houses four bedrooms. The main kitchen is located in the basement.<ref name="bi"/>
{{multiple image | align = left | direction = vertical | image1 = Walter Mondale hosts a dinner party for Jimmy Carter and family. - NARA - 177200.tif | width1 = 275 | caption1 = | image2 = Vice President & Mrs. Pence Welcomes the Prime Minister of Ireland (49652353731).jpg | width2 = 275 | caption2 = The residency's furnishings can be seen while Vice President [[Walter Mondale]] hosts President [[Jimmy Carter]] (top in 1977) and while Vice President [[Mike Pence]] hosts Irish [[Taoiseach]] [[Leo Varadkar]] (bottom in 2020). }}
=== Interior furnishings === Most of the furnishings placed in the house following the 1974 renovation were twentieth-century copies of either colonial or Federal style pieces. A notable exception was a bed placed in the house by Nelson Rockefeller. The bed was designed by surrealist artist [[Max Ernst]]. Called the "cage" bed, the headboard had the form of a Greek pediment, and the baseboard a lower version of a pediment.<ref name="usatoday">{{cite news| last=Groppe| first=Maureen| date=November 24, 2017| title=Fun facts about the vice president's residence and the people who lived there| url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/24/fun-facts-vice-presidents-residence-and-people-who-lived-there/892297001/| newspaper=USA Today| access-date=October 3, 2020| archive-date=February 22, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222082746/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/24/fun-facts-vice-presidents-residence-and-people-who-lived-there/892297001/| url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="nyt">{{cite news| last=Charlton| first=linda| date=September 9, 1975| title=Rockefellers Toss A Housewarming – In 9 Installments| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/09/09/archives/rockefellers-toss-a-housewarming-in-9-installments.html| newspaper=The New York Times| access-date=October 3, 2020| archive-date=January 21, 2021| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121043139/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/09/09/archives/rockefellers-toss-a-housewarming-in-9-installments.html| url-status=live}}</ref> The Rockefellers twice offered the bed permanently to the house but it was turned down both by Vice President [[George H. W. Bush]] and Vice President [[Dan Quayle]]. On visiting Barbara Bush at the house, Mrs. Rockefeller offered her the bed, and Mrs. Bush responded, "you are always welcome in this house, but there's no need to bring your own bed." The Rockefellers did leave a lithograph called "The Great Ignoramus", several antique Korean and Japanese chests, and nearly a dozen other pieces.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Slack |first=Megan |date=2024-07-24 |title=Inside Number One Observatory Circle – secrets of Kamala Harris's house from someone who used to work there |url=https://www.homesandgardens.com/celebrity-style/inside-kamala-harris-house-one-observatory-circle |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=homesandgardens.com |language=en}}</ref>
Vice Presidents often bring their own furnishings, often for the upstairs rooms, and redecorate to suit their tastes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Slack |first=Megan |date=2024-07-24 |title=Inside Number One Observatory Circle – secrets of Kamala Harris's house from someone who used to work there |url=https://www.homesandgardens.com/celebrity-style/inside-kamala-harris-house-one-observatory-circle |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=homesandgardens.com |language=en}}</ref> When the Mondales occupied the house, [[Joan Mondale]] introduced more saturated upholstery and wall colors and contemporary art. Like the Rockefellers, the Mondales brought some Asian antiques into the house. The Bush family, working with interior decorator Mark Hampton, used a palette of [[celadon]], [[Lime (color)|lime green]], and [[light blue]]. The Quayles removed the lime green and used [[Shades of white|off-white]]. The Gores oversaw a complete redecoration, the addition of a new dining-room table, new furniture for the library, and a substantial renovation of the grounds and porches to make them more suitable for outdoor entertaining. Immediately before the Cheneys moved in, some needed work on the air conditioning and heating was performed and the interiors were repainted. The Cheneys brought several pieces of contemporary art into the house. Before Vice President Kamala Harris moved in, the Navy refinished the wooden floors and relined the chimneys.<ref name=":0" />
=== Garden and grounds === The home is surrounded by a garden planted with cherry trees, Japanese magnolias, tulips and daffodils.<ref name=":0" /> In 1989, [[Dan Quayle]] installed a putting green. In 1991, Quayle added a pool, hot tub, and pool house.<ref name="bi" />{{efn|group=note|name=VP47}} In 2010, Vice President [[Joe Biden]] added a tree swing to the grounds as a Valentine's Day present for Second Lady [[Jill Biden]].<ref name="15-things" /> The grounds include the Family Heritage Garden dedicated in 2012 by the Bidens. The garden contains stones commemorating the vice presidential families who have lived in the house, including pets. The Family Heritage Garden is accented by an arbor, a fountain, and hydrangea plants.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A peek inside the vice presidential residence of Karen and Mike Pence |url=https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/politics/2018/01/12/a-peek-inside-the-vice-presidential-residence-of-karen-and-mike-pence/109390366/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Vice President's Family Heritage Garden – Fine Earth Landscape |url=https://www.fineearth.com/portfolio/vice-presidents-garden/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |language=en-US}}</ref> Vice President [[Mike Pence]] and Second Lady [[Karen Pence]] added a beehive to the grounds in 2017 as well as a new basketball court.<ref name="nyt1" /><ref>{{cite web |date=June 6, 2017 |title=Second Lady Karen Pence, Secretary Perdue Unveil Beehive at Vice President's Residence, and Ask Public to Help Boost Pollinator Population |url=https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2017/06/06/second-lady-karen-pence-secretary-perdue-unveil-beehive-vice-presidents-residence-and-ask-public |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031015215/https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2017/06/06/second-lady-karen-pence-secretary-perdue-unveil-beehive-vice |archive-date=October 31, 2020 |access-date=October 3, 2020 |website=U.S. Department of Agriculture}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Groppe |first=Maureen |date=January 14, 2018 |title=How Karen and Mike Pence — and their pets — have put their personal stamp on the vice presidential residence |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/14/how-karen-and-mike-pence-and-their-pets-have-put-their-personal-stamp-vice-presidential-residence/1029155001/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601234146/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/14/how-karen-and-mike-pence-and-their-pets-have-put-their-personal-stamp-vice-presidential-residence/1029155001/ |archive-date=June 1, 2023 |access-date=June 1, 2023 |work=USA Today}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Koncius |first=Jura |date=April 16, 2018 |title=New curtains, a beehive and a basketball court: The Pences at the vice president's residence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/new-curtains-a-beehive-and-a-basketball-court-the-pences-at-the-vice-presidents-residence/2018/04/12/c3817dec-18cb-11e8-92c9-376b4fe57ff7_story.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601232818/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/new-curtains-a-beehive-and-a-basketball-court-the-pences-at-the-vice-presidents-residence/2018/04/12/c3817dec-18cb-11e8-92c9-376b4fe57ff7_story.html |archive-date=June 1, 2023 |access-date=June 1, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> In 2018, Second Lady Karen Pence light up the garden to pay tribute to former Vice President and President George H.W. Bush following his passing.<ref>{{cite web |last=Groppe |first=Maureen |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/04/george-h-w-bush-honored-vice-presidential-residence/2209781002/ |title=Second Lady Karen Pence lights up garden to honor George H.W. Bush |website=USA Today |access-date=May 8, 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128230812/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/04/george-h-w-bush-honored-vice-presidential-residence/2209781002/ |archive-date=November 28, 2023}}</ref> In 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris planted a [[Punica protopunica|pomegranate tree]] at the residence to commemorate the [[2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel]].<ref>{{cite news |date=October 6, 2024 |title=Harris to mark anniversary of October 7 attacks with tree planting at her residence |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/06/politics/harris-israel-october-7-anniversary/index.html |access-date=November 22, 2024 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> The 73-acre property is bordered by a dense forest, shielding it from the noise of Massachusetts Avenue.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Cunningham |first=Mary |date=2024-10-01 |title=Where does the vice president live? Inside the house at 1 Observatory Circle - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/where-does-the-vice-president-live-inside-one-observatory-circle/ |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Privacy and security== ===Privacy=== Unlike the White House, Number One Observatory Circle and the surrounding Naval Observatory do not offer any public tours.<ref name="bi" /><ref name="nyt1"/>
=== Underground bunker === In December 2002, following the [[September 11 attacks]], neighbors of the Number One Observatory Circle, then inhabited by Vice President [[Dick Cheney]], complained of loud "blasts" and construction noises. Occurring several times and lasting up to five seconds, the vibrations were able to knock mirrors off the walls of some nearby residences. Neighbors who complained about the construction received a letter from the observatory's superintendent reading, "Due to its sensitive nature in support of national security and homeland defense, project-specific information is classified and cannot be released." It was widely speculated that a nuclear bunker was being constructed.<ref>{{cite news| date=December 9, 2002| title=Cheney's neighbours stoke bunker rumours| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2559617.stm| work=[[BBC News]]| access-date=October 3, 2020| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615015810/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2559617.stm| archive-date=June 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last=Nakamura| first=Davis| date=December 8, 2002| title=Cheney's Home Sending Bad Vibrations| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/12/08/cheneys-home-sending-bad-vibrations/07b75f78-0bf3-4171-94ac-67419a26675f/| newspaper=The Washington Post| access-date=October 3, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003210715/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/12/08/cheneys-home-sending-bad-vibrations/07b75f78-0bf3-4171-94ac-67419a26675f/| archive-date=October 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| last=Dowd| first=Maureen| date=December 11, 2002| title=Disco Dick Cheney| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/11/opinion/disco-dick-cheney.html| newspaper=The New York Times| access-date=October 3, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200910031843/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/11/opinion/disco-dick-cheney.html| archive-date=September 10, 2020}}</ref>
In 2009, recently inaugurated Vice President [[Joe Biden]] reportedly revealed the existence of an underground "9/11" bunker beneath the house.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-reveals-location-of-secret-vp-bunker| title=Biden Reveals Location of Secret VP Bunker| last=Passantino| first=Jonathan| website=Fox News| date=May 18, 2009| access-date=May 18, 2009| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616211302/https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-reveals-location-of-secret-vp-bunker| archive-date=June 16, 2020}}</ref><ref name="chicago">{{cite news| last=Silva| first=Mark| date=May 19, 2009| title=VP bunker exposed--sort of| url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2009-05-19-0905180391-story.html| newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]| access-date=October 3, 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110182623/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2009-05-19-0905180391-story.html| archive-date=January 10, 2021| url-status=live}}</ref> [[Elizabeth Alexander (press secretary)|Elizabeth Alexander]], Biden's press secretary, explained the following day, "What the vice president described in his comments was not—as some press reports have suggested—an underground facility, but rather, an upstairs work space in the residence, which he understood was frequently used by Vice President Cheney and his aides."<ref name="chicago"/> ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]'' suggested that Biden was actually referring to a tunnel which leads to one of the Navy-operated telescopes on the grounds.<ref name="csm"/>
==See also== * [[White House]] – the official residence of the president of the United States * [[Camp David]] – country retreat for the president of the United States :* [[Rapidan Camp]] – the predecessor to Camp David * [[Blair House]] – the official state guest house for the president of the United States * [[Tingey House]] - Chief of Naval Operations' official residence since 1974
==References== '''Informational notes''' {{notelist|group=note}}
'''Citations''' {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Commons category-inline}} * {{official website}}
{{White House|state=collapsed}}
[[Category:Buildings of the United States government in Washington, D.C.]] [[Category:Continuity of government in the United States]] [[Category:Embassy Row]] [[Category:Houses completed in 1893]] [[Category:Houses in Washington, D.C.]] [[Category:Landmarks in Washington, D.C.]] [[Category:Official residences in the United States]] [[Category:Vice presidential residences]] [[Category:Palaces in the United States]] [[Category:Queen Anne architecture in Washington, D.C.]] [[Category:Vice presidency of the United States]] [[Category:Presidential homes in the United States]] [[Category:Walter Mondale]]