In 1792, after initial designs had been scrapped, George Washington was in need of skilled stonemasons for his ambitious White House plans.
Here in Edinburgh, as Britain’s war with France raged on, skilled labourers were banned from emigrating during the conflict - leaving them with no way of making money. Commissioners from the new US capital saw an opportunity, and reached out to offer a group of Edinburgh stonemasons generous wages to defy the travel ban and head to America.
READ MORE - We stayed in Edinburgh's fanciest penthouse that is popular with celebrities
The Washington Commissioners admired the skills of Scottish stonemasons, with Edinburgh in the 19th century enjoying a period of rapid expansion. ‘The Athens of the North’ was known globally for our neoclassical architecture, with the labourers involved already perfectly trained having worked with many different materials.
Edinburgh workers struggled to turn down the offer, with travel costs covered and the war ceasing any construction work happening in Edinburgh. The challenge that awaited them in Washington however, was more than any structure back in Scotland.
The first design for the Presidential residence was set to be over four times the size of the White House that stands today, with eleven million pounds of stone needed just for the foundation walls. An Irishman, James Hoban, took over the plans when it became clear that a redesign was needed.
Many of the stonemasons who crossed the Atlantic were members of the Lodge of Journeymen Freemasons No 8. John and James Williamson, both members of the freemasons, were two of the first to emigrate.
The brothers are commemorated in Edinburgh with a plaque on 66 Queen Street, a terrace which they worked on before heading to America. Travelling by sea, the journey would’ve taken labourers over a month.
Sign up to our Edinburgh Live nostalgia newsletters for more local history and heritage content straight to your inbox
Collen Williamson, a master mason who was known for his work on Moy House in Moray, was shipped over to act as chief stonemason at the White House. Known for his hot head, Collen was no stranger to an argument with fellow workers or commissioners, and by 1795 his contract was terminated.
As for the six Edinburgh workers, their legacy can be seen all over the White House - particularly in the Double Rose. The carvings were based on the Scottish Double Rose, cultivated by the Royal Botanic Gardens in 1780.
The rose, associated with migration and homecoming, was particularly fitting for the Edinburgh stonemasons labouring on the White House. The mark of the labourers can be found both in their hometowns and overseas, though what happened to the six workers is un clear.
The first President to live in the White House, John Addams, didn’t move in until 1800. As for the masons, whether they returned to Scotland or continued to make a life for themselves in America is not known.
In 2018, Historic Environment Scotland stonemason Charles Jones continued the tradition and travelled to Washington to work on White House stone. Originally carved over 200 years go, Charles recreated the Scottish Double Rose in the gardens of the White House.
Hailing from Carnoustie in Angus, Charles spent a week replicating the design - which was put on permanent display in a museum on Capitol Hill. He told the Daily Record at the time: "It's been an amazing experience.
"I suppose I am following in the footsteps of the Edinburgh stonemasons coming to the White House. The stone they would have used here is of similar consistency to what we have back home.
"I am sure the Scottish stonemasons would have been pleasantly surprised by that."
