The most well-known address in the United States is perhaps 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the president’s home and epicenter of the U.S. government. But what about the nation’s vice president? Where does the second-in-command live?
When they’re not at their office in the White House, or jet-setting around the world, they too, reside in Washington D.C., albeit across the city from the White House
The house that’s served as the stomping grounds for every vice president from Walter Mondale to Kamala Harris is located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory.
Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Where do vice presidents live during their term?
Tucked away in the northwestern quadrant of D.C. is another white house, this one home to the vice president. The nineteenth century home, located at 1 Observatory Circle, is on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Observatory, which serves as a hub for astronomical research on all things in the sea, on land and in space.
The three-story house doubles as a roost for the VP and an office outpost. Vice presidents in the past have been known to host guests on the property, including foreign leaders and dignitaries, like President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico.
Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The 73-acre plot is bordered by a dense green forest, which serves as an effective insulator from the hustle and bustle of nearby Massachusetts Avenue.
What is 1 Observatory Circle like inside?
Inside the 9,000-square-foot house is 33 rooms, dedicated for both public and private use, with highlights including a heated outdoor pool, library, and sunlit solarium.
“It’s not a fancy house, but it’s a very livable house,” Geoff Chester, a longtime public affairs officer for the observatory, told CBS News in 2017.
Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The interior design shifts with each newcomer, serving as a reflection of their personal style. For Harris, it was a mixture of modern elements and hommages to her cultural heritage from India and Africa, Architectural Digest reported.
In addition to housing famous politicians, 1 Observatory Circle is also home to a relic of history: the atomic clock, the most precise time scale in the world.
Is the official VP residence near the White House?
One Observatory Circle is over 2 miles from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Both are located in Northwest D.C.
What’s the history of the Vice President’s residence?
The house at 1 Observatory Circle, designed by local architect Leon Dessez, lived an entire life of its own before former Vice President Walter Mondale got the keys in 1977.
Built in 1893 for $20,000, the home was first occupied by a series of superintendents who worked for the naval observatory. In that period, it was fittingly named the “Superintendent’s House.”
According to the White House lore, the house was such an appealing place to live, that in the 1920s, the chief of naval operations – the highest-ranking officer in the Department of the Navy – kicked out the superintendent so he could move in.
In 1974, Congress decided to revamp the space and designate it as a home for the vice presidents, who up until that point had to secure their own accommodations.
Nelson A. Rockefeller, who was vice president under Gerald Ford, used the house for entertaining — even VPs need a place to party – but it wasn’t until 1977 that the home had its first official VP resident: Walter Mondale of Minnesota, vice president to former President Jimmy Carter.
Thomas J. O’Halloran / Library of Congress
Since then, vice presidents George H. W. Bush, Dan Quayle, Al Gore, Dick Cheney, Joe Biden, Mike Pence and Kamala Harris and their families have all rotated through the home.
Before the U.S. Naval Observatory was built, the land the residence stands on belonged Margaret C. Barber, a widow who held 34 enslaved people on the property, according to the New York Times.
After the 2024 election, the residence will pass from the hands of Harris and husband Doug Emhoff to either Harris’ running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, or JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s VP pick.
