section_path: Early history/Construction
section_name: Construction
paragraph_text: Construction
  
  Construction of the White House began at noon on October 13, 1792, with the laying of the cornerstone. The main residence and foundations of the house were built largely by employed Europeans, whilst enslaved African-Americans quarried stone used in the construction. Much of the other work on the house was done by immigrants, many of whom had not yet obtained citizenship, including the sandstone walls, which were erected by Scottish masons, the high-relief rose, and garland decorations above the north entrance and the fish scale pattern beneath the pediments of the window hoods.
  
  There are conflicting claims as to where the sandstone used in the construction of the White House originated. Some reports suggest sandstone from the Croatian island of Brač, specifically the Pučišća quarry whose stone was used to build the ancient Diocletian's Palace in Split, was used in the building's original construction. However, researchers believe limestone from the island was used in the 1902 renovations and not the original construction. Others suggest the original sandstone simply came from Aquia Creek in Stafford County, Virginia, since importation of the stone at the time would have proved too costly. The initial construction took place over a period of eight years at a reported cost of $232,371.83 (equivalent to $4,305,000 in 2024). Although not yet completed, the White House was ready for occupancy circa November 1, 1800.
  
  Pierre L'Enfant 's plan for a grand palace was five times larger than the house that was eventually built. Due in part to material and labor shortages, the finished structure contained only two main floors instead of the planned three, and a less costly brick served as a lining for the stone façades. When construction was finished, the porous sandstone walls were whitewashed with a mixture of lime, rice glue, casein, and lead, giving the house its familiar color and name.