The White House

Audio Transcript

Standing before you is The White House, a handsome Georgian home built in 1768 and recorded on local maps as early as 1812.

What makes this house particularly remarkable is its connection to a future President of the United States. In 1902, Herbert Hoover and his wife Lou Henry Hoover made their home here while Hoover was working in England as a mining engineer.

At the time, Hoover was still many years away from the White House in Washington. Having spent several years working in the mines of Australia and China, he returned to England in the spring of 1902. In his memoirs, he recalled that his wife had found them “a small country house at Walton-on-Thames”, adding the amusing observation that it was “curiously known as The White House”.

The Hoovers lived here for only a short period before work once again took them overseas. Within a few years, Herbert Hoover’s career would take him around the world, and in 1929 he would become the 31st President of the United States.

More than a century later, the house still stands, creating an unexpected link between Walton-on-Thames and American history.

When you’re ready, retrace your steps and turn left into Mayfield Road. Pass through the station subway and continue along Station Avenue to your next stop.

Did you know?

• Herbert Hoover lived here for nearly 30 years before becoming the 31st President of the United States.
• In his memoirs, Hoover described the property as a “small country house at Walton-on-Thames”. He joked that it was “curiously known as The White House” long before he moved into the real White House in Washington.
• The house was built in 1768 and appears on local maps dating back to 1812.
• Hoover worked as a mining engineer in Australia and China before his political career began.
• The property remains a private home and still stands on West Grove today.