As the Biden administration comes to an end, with Donald Trump returning to the Oval Office, this means that Kamala Harris will not be the first Black woman to be president, and she’ll have to move out of her residence as vice president with no plans to return to the White House.
© Anna MoneymakerAs vice president, Kamala has occupied the historic home of second families dating back to Walter Mondale’s stint under Jimmy Carter between 1977 to 1981. Now, JD Vance and his family with wife Usha Vance will move into what might be Washington’s second most valuable piece of property.
© Kevin DietschWhere vice presidents live
© Hansrad Collection / Alamy Stock PhotoNumber One Observatory Circle has housed vice presidents and their families dating back to 1977, although it was originally built in 1893.
© WWDThe original intention of the house was for the superintendent of the United States Naval Observatory, although it was considered so lovely that the chief of naval operations kicked out the superintendent so he could live there himself.
© WWDUp until Walter Mondale, vice presidents historically lived in their own homes, although the cost of securing private residencies grew so much that Congress refurbished the property to be a home for the second family.
The property, which has previously housed the likes of George H. W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden, is approximately a 12-minute drive to the White House. No doubt, this makes for a speedy commute in case of any major national issues.
How former vice presidents made it their home
© Kent NishimuraOver the years, tenants of Number One Observatory Circle have made the place their own with a number of personal touches. Famously, when George H. W. Bush and Barbara lived there in 1981, they raised $187,000 to re-carpet, upholster and furnish the place. In his time, he hosted over 900 parties in the house.
© David Hume KennerlyDan Quayle rebuilt the third floor with bedrooms suitable for children, a wheelchair-accessible entrance, and an upgraded bathroom fit for a vice president. More decadently, he’d add a pool, hot tub, and pool house to the impressive property.
Al Gore agreed to delay moving into the house by nearly six months in 1993, as the house underwent its largest renovation since 1974. Unlike the Republican who preceded him, the $1.6 million job was far more practical: replacing the heating, air conditioning, and plumbing, as well as removing asbestos and rewiring the electrics. They also restored the porch and upgraded the family quarters on the second floor.
© DOUG MILLSDick Cheney and his wife Lynne renovated the upstairs exercise room, redid the kitchen pantry, and redecorated the place for more neutral colors.
© PAUL J. RICHARDSWhen Joe Biden moved in, he added a tree swing to the grounds as a Valentine’s Day gift to his wife. Jill would go on to add the Family Heritage Garden, which memorializes all the home’s previous occupants, families and pets.
Meanwhile, Mike Pence and his wife Karen added a beehive and a basketball court to the grounds.
© Kent NishimuraIn Kamala Harris’ time in the property with Doug Emhoff, the property underwent $3.8 million upgrades to the chimney liners, heating, air conditioning, plumbing and kitchen. The second gentleman, who is Jewish, added a white mezuzah to the property’s doorway, in honor of religious tradition. The couple became the first to celebrate Hanukkah and host a Passover Seder in the property.
