David White House facts for kids
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David White House
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 Location in Washington, D.C.
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| Location | 1459 Girard St., NW, Washington, D.C. |
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| NRHP reference No. | 76002133 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 7, 1976 |
| Designated NHL | January 7, 1976 |
The David White House is a special old house in Washington, D.C.. It's located at 1459 Girard Street NW. This house is a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important place in American history.
From 1910 to 1925, this house was the home of a famous scientist named David White. He was a geologist, someone who studies rocks and the Earth. David White worked for a long time at the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This is a government agency that studies the Earth's land, water, and natural resources. He did amazing research on things like peat (a type of soil) and petroleum (oil) geology.
About the David White House
The David White House is in a part of Washington called Columbia Heights. You can find it on the north side of Girard Street, between 14th and 15th Streets. It's one of three buildings with cool, round towers called "turrets" that stand in a row. These houses were built in the 1800s.
The house has three floors. Its front is made of "Roman brick" with gray stone decorations. It also has a round turreted bay, which is like a rounded section that sticks out. The roof is a "mansard roof," which means it has four sloping sides. An architect named C.L. Harding designed this house in 1902. It was built by T.A. Harding. The house was officially recognized as a National Historic Landmark on January 7, 1976.
Who Was David White?
David White was born in New York. He studied geology at Cornell University, a well-known college. After he finished school, he started working for the USGS. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 1886 and lived there for the rest of his life. The house on Girard Street was his home for the longest time.
During his long career, David White became an expert on the Paleozoic era. This was a very old time in Earth's history, about 541 to 252 million years ago. He studied how different layers of rock formed during this time. He also researched how ancient plants (this is called paleobotany) helped create coal deposits. Coal is a fossil fuel that we use for energy.
What made David White special was that he often did his own field work. This means he went out into nature himself to collect samples and study rocks. Many other scientists at the time would hire people to do this for them. David White received important awards for his work, including the Thomson Medal and the Walcott Medal.
Images for kids
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The David White House in Washington, D.C.
 | May Edward Chinn |
 | Rebecca Cole |
 | Alexa Canady |
 | Dorothy Lavinia Brown |
