White House is a city in
RobertsonRobertson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The county was named for James Robertson, founder of Nashville and a state senator. As of 2000, the population was 54,433. Its county seat is Springfield....
and
SumnerSumner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 130,449. Its county seat is Gallatin, but its largest town is Hendersonville...
counties in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
. The population was 7,220 at the 2000 census. White House is currently experiencing rapid growth in both population and community development. Consequently, it has one of the fastest prospering economies in Tennessee. The town's current mayor is John Decker.
The area that is now White House was purchased around 1828 by Richard Stone Wilks, a settler from Virginia.
White House is a city in
RobertsonRobertson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The county was named for James Robertson, founder of Nashville and a state senator. As of 2000, the population was 54,433. Its county seat is Springfield....
and
SumnerSumner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 130,449. Its county seat is Gallatin, but its largest town is Hendersonville...
counties in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
TennesseeTennessee is a state located in the Southeastern United States. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 6,214,888, an increase of nearly 9.5% since 2000. Tennessee is the 14th fastest growing state in the US and is ranked 17th by population. It is ranked 36th by total land area. In...
. The population was 7,220 at the 2000 census. White House is currently experiencing rapid growth in both population and community development. Consequently, it has one of the fastest prospering economies in Tennessee. The town's current mayor is John Decker.
Settlers
The area that is now White House was purchased around 1828 by Richard Stone Wilks, a settler from Virginia. A trail running from Kentucky to Nashville, originally created by buffalo and Native Americans, cut through the area. This trail was originally known as the Louisville & Nashville Turnpike during the mid-1800s. In 1928, the trail was renamed US Highway 31W.
Naming the town
In the mid-1800s, the Carter, Thomas, and Hough
StagecoachA stagecoach is a type of four-wheeled closed coach for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach...
Company traveled the L&N Turnpike carrying passengers. A typical stop along the way was a white, two-story house built by Richard Wilks in 1829. The house was a popular stop for lodging, food, and changing out horses. During this time, houses were rarely painted white, particularly in this underdeveloped area. The stage coach drivers began to call this stop and the surrounding area White House.
Growth and development
White House was incorporated in 1971. Currently, the young town is experiencing population growth, economic progress, and community development. The city is located north of Nashville within the greater Nashville region and has already benefited greatly from the suburban expansion of Nashville during the 1990s.
Monument
The monument for which the town was named was torn down in 1951 to make way for new development. However, in 1986, the community erected a replica of the original building. The reproduction, called the White House Inn Library and Museum, currently sits in the center of town next to the Fire Department. It contains the library, a museum with artifacts from the area's early years, and the city's Chamber of Commerce.
Geography
White House is located at (36.465208, -86.662896).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 9.0
square mileThe square mile is an imperial and US unit of measure for an area equal to the area of a square of one statute mile.
s (23.2 km²).None of the area is covered with water.
White House is located along Interstate 65 at the intersection of State Highway 76 and US Highway 31W. The town, as of 2007, covers eleven square miles and is situated about 22 miles north of downtown Nashville, lying in both Robertson and Sumner Counties.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 7,220 people, 2,497 households, and 2,060 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 805.3 people per square mile (310.8/km²). There were 2,578 housing units at an average density of 287.5/sq mi (111.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.35% White, 1.33% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.30% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.
There were 2,497 households out of which 48.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.0% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.5% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 37.8% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,649, and the median income for a family was $55,731. Males had a median income of $38,448 versus $26,216 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $19,890. About 2.3% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Public schools
The city is split into two counties, and therefore has two public school districts.
Sumner county public schools:
Robertson county public schools:
Private schools
Notable people
- Jim Varney
James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. was an American actor and comedian. He was best known for his character Ernest P. Worrell, originally created by Nashville advertising agency Carden and Cherry in the 1980s. The character was used in numerous television commercial campaigns and movies in the...
(1949-2000), actor known for his' role as the comedic Ernest P. WorrellErnest P. Worrell was a fictional character portrayed by the late American actor Jim Varney in a series of television commercials and later in a television series as well as a series of motion pictures....
(see his grave at Lexington Cemetery)
- Rob Keith
- President Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . He was military governor of Florida , commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans , and eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy...
is believed to have stayed at the original White House Inn while hunting at Tyree Springs, and en route to points north such as Louisville, Kentucky
Trivia
The choir at the First Baptist Church of White House recorded back-up vocals for
Alison KraussAlison Krauss is an American bluegrass-country singer and fiddler. She entered the music industry at an early age, winning local contests by the age of ten and recording for the first time at fourteen. She signed with Rounder Records in 1985 and released her first solo album in 1987...
in "
O Brother, Where Art Thou?O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 adventure film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning...
"
External links