White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia: First Summer Presidential White House
Some of the worst Presidents in American history used this "cottage" as their summer getaway.
- Address:
- 300 W. Main St., White Sulphur Springs, WV
- Directions:
- Presidents' Cottage History Museum. At the Greenbrier Resort. From the west: I-64 exit 181, turn right onto Main St., then drive 1.5 miles to the resort entrance on the right. From the east: I-64 exit 175, turn left, drive to stop sign, then turn right onto Main St. and drive 3.5 miles to the resort entrance on the left. Stop at the gatehouse, tell the guard you're going on a tour of the President's Cottage, then good luck finding a place to park; you may have to walk a distance from your car to the building.
- Hours:
- Tours Sa 3 PM. Free to look, but must ask at gatehouse. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 855-453-4858
- Admission:
- Admission
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We visited and got some background on the building. There are very large and nice murals painted in the last half of the 1800s in the front two rooms, on canvas and attached to look as if the walls are painted. Apparently these were taken down when the building was used as a medical facility for WW1. They remained missing for 50 years, when they were rediscovered in storage and put back in place.
[Roger Crook, 04/27/2023]
The First Summer White House. Built in 1834-1835. Occupied by Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan.
[J. Trueblood, 03/20/2016]
Roadside Presidents App for iPhone. Find this attraction and more: museums, birthplaces, graves of the Chief Execs, first ladies, pets, assassins and wannabes. Prez bios and oddball trivia. Available on the App Store.
Nearby Offbeat Places
The Congressional Bunker, White Sulphur Springs, WV - < 1 mi.
Coal House, White Sulphur Springs, WV - 2 mi.
Big Snowman, Lewisburg, WV - 7 mi.In the region:
George Washington's Initials and Light Show, Natural Bridge, VA - 43 mi.
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The Summer White House was a way to escape fetid, disease-ridden Washington, DC, in the hot months, as well as an excuse to enjoy some healing sulfurous spring waters.