Honor Presidents Day with These Fun Facts About White House Plumbing!
In honor of Presidents Day, expert plumbers would like to share fun facts about the history of plumbing in the White House. These tidbits can give citizens an understanding of the many different personalities that have inhabited the White House. It also serves as a glimpse into the world as it was throughout American history.
First Indoor Plumbing on Pennsylvania Ave
Indoor plumbing is a relatively modern invention. The Ancient Romans are indeed credited with inventing the earliest iteration of plumbing, but it was many centuries before it became common in households. The White House was no exception. Most private mansions and hotels had running water fed by springs before the White House did. It seemed that the house was in a constant state of repair.
In 1833, under Andrew Jackson’s administration, the White House finally received indoor plumbing. Although the designs first called for hollowed-out logs to be used as pipes, there was a concern about fire. So, iron pipes were used when the project was finally finished. But it wasn’t like the systems people enjoy today. Hand pumps provided the pressure necessary to transport the water around the White House so the residents could use it.
President William Howard Taft’s Larger-Than-Life Bathtub
Years after the Jackson administration installed running water, William Howard Taft took office. To say that Taft was a large man was to understate his weight and frame. Weighing around 330 pounds, Taft could not fit in the normal bathtubs in the White House (or any other bathtub, for that matter). So, not long after Taft’s 1908 election, the search commenced for a bathtub large enough to fit the President Comfortably.
The search proved fruitless, and a Manhattan company had to build a large tub. And so they did. There is a now-famous picture of four men sitting comfortably in the giant bathtub that was later installed in the White House.
Nixon’s Watergate “Plumbers”
That last White House tidbit on this list may seem a little confusing unless people know their history. No, Nixon didn’t have so many plumbing problems that he had to hire a plumbing staff. But he did have a problem with leaks. Namely, information leaks.
Reportedly, one of the members of Nixon’s Special Investigations Unit told his grandmother, when asked what work he was doing for President Nixon, said he was “fixing a leak”. His grandmother responded with something to the effect of, “Oh, you’re a plumber!” The name stuck.
Sometime later, the “Plumbers” were arrested for breaking into the Watergate Hotel in an effort to discover what Nixon’s political opponents had on him. Eventually, around two years after the “Plumbers” were arrested, Nixon resigned from office in disgrace for his orchestration of the illegal activities of the “Plumbers” and other Nixon loyalists.
About B & D Plumbing, Heating & A/C
B & D Plumbing, Heating, & A/C has been serving St. Michael, MN, for nearly 40 years. They offer up-front pricing, fully stocked trucks, and superb workmanship. Their technicians are trained in the latest technology, and homeowners always get a live answer when they call them. Call now for expert plumbing service!
