Buzz
Why are numerous rooms in the White House built with an elliptical "oval" shape?Taylor Griffin:
The Oval shape of rooms in the White House was selected to host a formal greeting event known as a "levee." This custom has its origins in the royal courts of England and particularly France.
The White House Historical Association describes its adaptation in America:
The levee, a ceremony taken from the English court, was a formal occasion for men of importance to meet the president. With formal attire, silver buckles, and powdered wigs, it was a rigid public ritual, almost military in its formality. Invited guests entered and walked up to the president standing before the fireplace, bowing as a presidential aide announced their names. They then stepped back to their designated spot. After 15 minutes, the doors were shut and the group gathered in a circle. The president walked around the circle, greeting each guest by name with a remark of politeness or a congratulatory comment that could carry political undertones. He bowed but never shook hands. When the circle was completed, the president returned to his position by the mantel, standing until, at a signal from an aide, guests approached him, bowed silently, and left the room.
George Washington requested the bowed walls that define the three oval-shaped rooms on the South side of the White House residence: the Diplomatic Reception Room, the Blue Oval Room on the State Floor, and the Yellow Oval Room on the third floor, specifically for the levee.
However, the ceremony was short-lived. John Adams, the first resident of the White House, was not fond of the practice. Although Adams understood the reasoning behind the levee, as a way to provide greater access to the president in a manner befitting his position, he didn't hide his personal dislike of it. In a letter to his wife Abigail, Adams plainly stated:
"I hate levees …"
The levee was quickly abolished by Thomas Jefferson, who viewed the ceremonious grandeur of the event as too reminiscent of the monarchy the nation had just fought to separate from. Despite this, the oval shape was used again in the design of the iconic Oval Office when the West Wing was constructed in 1909. The Oval Office's shape serves no formal function other than to honor the oval rooms of the White House, reinforcing the awe associated with the power exercised within it.
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