The White House's original official name was the Executive Mansion. The earliest evidence of the public calling it the "White House" was recorded in 1811. A legend emerged that during the rebuilding of the structure white paint was applied to mask the burn damage it had suffered, giving the building its namesake hue. The building was still officially called the Executive Mansion until Theodore Roosevelt, in 1901 and 1902, had the White House written on the official stationery and issued a proclamation establishing the new name.

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The Me you have always known, the Me that's a stranger still.