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carpenters while Peter earned a “shilling or
two” less than the free white carpenters. While
the arrangement was unusual, since Hoban
held significant influence, the commissioners
likely let him employ the people he wanted on
the project. Later, in November 1797,
the commissioners ordered “that after the
expiration of the present month no Negro
Carpenters or apprentices be hired at either of
the public buildings.” By this point funds were
tight, Hoban’s enslaved carpenters were
making a similar wage to the white apprentice
carpenters. At any rate, Hoban did not protest
the order.
During the final days of White House
construction, labor forces—both enslaved and
free—were drastically cut by the commissioners.
By this point, the exterior was largely finished,
and free white carpenters furiously worked to
finish the interiors. The final known receipt for
payment to a slave owner occurred on June 7,
1800, when the commissioners paid $19.74 to
a slave owner named Joseph Queen for the use
of enslaved sawyers. Although major White
House construction concluded around the
time President John Adams moved into the
home, enslaved labor was used again for the View of Washington 1852 drawn from nature and on stone by E. Sachse in 1852
rebuild after the British burned the White
House on August 24, 1814. the White House Historical Association’s Slavery in the President’s
Additional research into the lives of the enslaved individuals that

built and rebuilt the White House is ongoing, as historians hope to Neighborhood initiative at SPN@whha.org.
learn more about the identities and life experiences of known and This article was originally published by the White House Historical
unknown enslaved people. If you have any additional information Association on January 3, 2020. It is reprinted here with permission. Visit
about any of the enslaved individuals listed here or any other enslaved www.whitehousehistory.org Edited by Judy Gonyeau, managing editor,
people associated with White House construction, please reach out to Journal of Antiques and Collectibles

28 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles