Show selecting white house site president washington and major pierre charles lenfant who laid out the national capital selected the site for the white house in 1791 A competition was held for plans for an executive m mansion ahaion and the winning architect was james hoban of dublin the corner stone was laid october 13 1792 the building was not ready for occupancy until november 1800 when president and mrs john adams moved in when the british captured washington in 1804 they burned the white house hoban superintended super intended its restoration |