Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family didn’t stay in the White House during their official visit. Instead, they were put up down the street at 1651 Pennsylvania Ave., in the president’s official guest home: Blair House.
The need for a guest house became apparent during the Second World War, when Britain’s Winston Churchill was making frequent trips to the U.S.
“Franklin Roosevelt, Jr., recalls the morning his mother found the prime minister wandering towards the family’s private quarters at 3 a.m., trademark cigar in hand, to rouse the sleeping president for more conversation,” explains Blair House’s official history. “He met Eleanor first, however, who firmly persuaded him to wait until breakfast.”
Blair House was purchased in 1942.
Here are a few details on the residence and its connections to Canada.
Who was Blair?
Newspaper editor Francis Preston Blair was the most influential member of President Andrew Jackson's informal group of advisors, known as the “Kitchen Cabinet.” They would host meetings, including at Blair House.
Blair went on to also advise Presidents Martin Van Buren and Abraham Lincoln.
How old is the house?
Purchased by the Blairs in 1837, the oldest part actually dates back to 1824. Three neighbouring townhouses have since been incorporated into the residence, including one that dates back to 1859.
How big is the house?
Blair House has 70,000 square feet and 110 rooms. By comparison, Rideau Cottage, which the Trudeau family calls home, has 22 rooms and is just over 10,000 square feet.
Dillon room, Blair House (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)
What’s the Canadian connection?
In the early 19th Century, loggers in Maine were at war with loggers from New Brunswick. The situation was so serious that Britain’s Foreign Minister, Baron Ashburton, travelled to the United States and spent 10 months hammering out a treaty with U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster.
The Webster-Ashburton Treaty managed to nail down clear borders between Canada and the U.S., not only in the Maritimes but also around the Great Lakes. Although it wasn’t negotiated at Blair House, the official portraits of Webster and Baron hang prominently in its drawing rooms.
The borders may be settled, but logging is still an issue. In fact, Trudeau and Obama spoke about the softwood lumber agreement during the official visit.
Did Trudeau’s parents stay there?
A now-declassified 1974 cable from the U.S. embassy in Ottawa noted that the U.S. was “very apologetic” that the Trudeaus would not be able to stay in Blair House after dining with President Gerald Ford. It does not say why it wasn’t available.
However, Pierre and Margaret Trudeau did get a chance to stay in Blair House in Feb. 1977, when they were honoured with a state dinner by President Jimmy Carter. The press noted a very informal dinner featuring a performance of the anti-war song “Where Have All the Flowers Gone.”
President Carter and his wife walked the Trudeaus to Blair House after the meal.
President Jimmy Carter, First Lady Rosalynn Carter, Pierre Trudeau and Margaret Trudeau at the White House, on Monday, Feb. 22, 1977. (AP)
Who else has stayed here?
One of the most frequent guests has been Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Many presidents and prime ministers have also signed the guestbook, including Charles de Gaulle of France, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Vladamir Putin of Russia and the U.K.’s Margaret Thatcher.
Although he never received state dinner, former Canadian PM Stephen Harper did sleep at Blair House in July 6, 2006. It happened to be George W. Bush’s 60th birthday. Harper gave him a Calgary Stampede belt buckle and RCMP Stetson hat.
U.S presidents and their families, including the Bushs, Reagans and Obamas, also spent time at Blair House, while waiting for their turns to move into the White House.
