
In 1923, the Chief of Naval Operations took the house for himself, and it was used as such until 1974.
The observatory itself is still in use by the Navy, but the superintendent lives in another residence. The house was built in 1894 for the superindendent of the US Naval Observatory. As a result, it was Walter Mondale who became the first vice-president to live in the house in 1977. Ford named Nelson Rockefeller as his vice-president, but the Rockefellers already lived in Washington and had no desire to move, so they used the house only for entertaining. Ford never moved in, however, as he was quickly elevated to president when Richard Nixon resigned. The house was designated the official residence of the vice-president in 1974, after Gerald Ford had been named as the replacement for Vice-President Spiro Agnew. The house at One Observatory Circle in Washington, DC is the official residence of the Vice-President of the United States. “It’s a really unique scenario, to the point that it almost became embarrassing that the greatest power on the face of the earth and the second-in-command didn’t even have a home,” he said.One Observatory Circle in 2003 ( Wikipedia) Over the years, second ladies have added personal touches to the home’s décor, and Tipper Gore spent much of her time building an electronic inventory of all the official household items passed down from administration to administration.ĭan Quayle built the home’s swimming pool - a feature Joe Biden’s grandchildren loved - while the Cheneys renovated the upstairs exercise room.ĭenyer said he hopes his 260-page, photo-filled book will “ shed some light on a home that not too many people know about.” They just think they’re going over to someone’s house in Northwest D.C.,” Denyer said. “Next thing you know, they’re all spread eagle on the ground from the U.S. Not realizing the degree of security involved when visiting, these friends jumped the fence to get to the doorbell. When Vice President Mondale was out of town, his teenage children invited friends over. But in his book, Denyer gives readers a glimpse inside its rooms and details some of the mansion’s more memorable events - both official and private.

Unlike the White House, the vice president’s house is not open to the public only invited guests are able to tour the home.

To move a vice president to another location would be just massive,” Denyer added. I think that is the official residence they’ve grown accustomed to it, it’s a tradition. “Because of that, I don’t think anyone foresees the vice president leaving any time soon. The government has invested too much money and infrastructure securing the 19th century dwelling. But construction never happened, and Denyer said it likely won’t. However, 1 Observatory Circle, formerly the home to the chief of Naval operations, was only meant to be a temporary home for the country’s vice presidents until official headquarters were built.

Walter Mondale was the first vice president to move in. A few weeks before resigning, President Nixon signed a law designating a 9,000-square-foot house at 1 Observatory Circle to be the home of the Vice President of the United States. The growing costs and concerns associated with protecting the vice president and the second family finally spurred Congress to name an official residence for the country’s second-in-command.
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“Literally, that next day the Secret Service was busy putting in reinforced concrete on the driveway for the armored limousine to park there, all of his normal windows were replaced with bulletproof windows, and once again, the Secret Service moved in and took over his entire garage,” Denyer said. Hubert Humphrey resided in Chevy Chase, Maryland, during his vice presidency, and Gerald Ford remained in his Alexandria, Virginia, home after being sworn in as Richard Nixon’s vice president. Similarly, Vice President Spiro Agnew lived in Woodley Park’s Wardman Tower. Vice President Harry Truman lived in a small apartment at 4701 Connecticut Ave. Business & Finance Click to expand menu.
