Meet the 20 Babies Born in the White House

By Jennifer A. • Aug 18, 2024

What if your birth certificate listed your place of birth as the White House? According to historical records, 20 babies were born in the presidential mansion, but only one of those was the child of a sitting president. Who are those 20? Let's take a look back through the White House's 218-year history.

1. Asnet Hughes

When Thomas Jefferson moved from his home Monticello to the original White House in 1801, he brought a 14-year-old slave named Ursula Granger. He intended for her to train to cook meals at his new home, but that plan changed when she gave birth to a baby boy on an unspecified date.

The first child known to be born in the White House, sadly, Asnet Hughes died in infancy on Aug. 14, 1802.

2. James Madison Randolph

On Jan. 17, 1806, Thomas Jefferson's daughter Martha gave birth to James Madison Randolph at the White House.

Named after future president James Madison, Randolph grew up at Jefferson's home Monticello in Virginia. He later moved to Mississippi and became a planter.

3-5. Enslaved Fossett Children (Jefferson Administration)

Later that same year in December, an unnamed child was born to two of Jefferson's slaves, Edy and Joe Fossett. These new parents served as part of Jefferson's household staff, explaining why the child was delivered at the White House.

Sadly, the child passed away after only a few years. The child's gender is not known. The Fossetts went on to have two more children at the White House, James and Maria.

6-7. Enslaved Hern Children (Jefferson Administration)

In 1806, President Jefferson brought Edy Fossett's sister-in-law to the White House to assist Edy in the kitchen. The 18-year-old slave named Fanny had married another slave, David Hern, who remained behind at Monticello.

Although the couple only saw each other about twice per year when David brought supplies to the White House, historical records say Edy gave birth to two children in the White House servants' quarters.

Unfortunately, we know almost nothing about the Hern children, except that at least one of them died of whooping cough at a young age.

8. Mary Louisa Adams

On Dec. 2, 1828, John Quincy Adams got an early Christmas gift — the birth of a baby granddaughter in the reconstructed White House (the original burned in 1814).

The president's son, John Adams II, and his wife, Mary Catherine Hellen Adams (who also happened to be first cousins), named their newborn Mary Louisa. She grew up to be a Boston socialite, known for her rosy cheeks and youthful vitality.

9-12. Four Children of Andrew Jackson's Nephew

During President Andrew Jackson's administration, Jackson's nephew Andrew Jackson Donelson served as his private secretary. Donelson's wife Emily also played a significant role as White House hostess after the president's wife Rachel passed away.

Between 1829-34, Emily gave birth to four children in the White House:

Mary Emily
John Samuel
Andrew Jackson Jr.
Rachel Jackson - named after her great-aunt, Rachel Jackson, the late wife of President Jackson

13. Rebecca Van Buren

In March 1840, the granddaughter of President Martin Van Buren was born to the president's son Abraham and his wife Sarah — their first child.

Unfortunately, both Sarah and baby Rebecca became ill after the birth. Later that same year, in September 1840, the 6-month-old infant passed away.

14. Letitia Tyler

When President John Tyler moved into the White House, his wife Letitia Christian Tyler was too ill to assume the duties of First Lady. To help him out, the president's son Robert and his wife Elizabeth moved into the presidential mansion, and Elizabeth took over as acting White House hostess.

Soon after on April 13, 1842, Elizabeth gave birth to a baby daughter — and named her after the true First Lady. Baby Letitia lived to be 82 years old.

15. Robert Tyler Jones

On Jan. 24, 1843, the White House welcomed another grandchild of President Tyler — this time a boy.

As a young man, Robert Tyler Jones went on to fight on the Confederate side of the Civil War. He fought at Gettysburg and participated in the battle's famous Pickett's Charge. Jones survived the Civil War and was present when General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox in 1865.

Jones died in 1895 at age 52.

16-17. Sally and Joseph Walker

Joseph Knox Walker served as secretary to President James K. Polk during his tenure in the White House. Walker's wife Lydia Butler Walker came from a well-known family, and she enjoyed helping lead the White House social calendar.

During President Polk's time in office, the Walkers welcomed two children — Sally (March 15, 1846) and Joseph (Dec. 9, 1847), who were born in the White House.

18. Julia Grant

The only child born in the White House who also became a princess, Julia Grant entered this world on June 7, 1876 - the granddaughter of Ulysses S. Grant. Her parents, Frederick and Ida Grant, had moved in with President Grant when they married two years earlier.

Born at a whopping 13 pounds, Julia later moved to Europe when her father assumed a diplomatic post — and that's where she met Russian Prince Mikhail Cantacuzène. They married in 1899, had three children, and divorced in 1934.

Julia spent much of her life involved in politics and society. She even wrote a memoir, "My Life Here and There" (1921). She lost most of her eyesight before she died in 1975.

19. Esther Cleveland

The birth of Esther Cleveland on Sept. 9, 1893, stands out from the rest on this list for one reason: Esther is the only child of a sitting president born in the White House.

President Grover Cleveland had entered the White House as a bachelor in 1885 and later married 21-year-old Frances Clara Folsom in the Blue Room — she was 27 years his junior. At age 28, the First Lady gave birth to Esther during the first year of her husband's second term. The president was 55 at the time.

Esther went on to become a prominent London socialite and married Capt. William Sidney Bence Bosanquet in 1918.

20. Francis Bowes Sayre Jr.

The distinction of "last baby born in the White House" goes to Francis Bowes Sayer Jr., the grandson of President Woodrow Wilson.

Born on Jan. 17, 2015, baby Francis went on to serve as an Episcopal priest and become an outspoken advocate for civil rights. From 1951 to 1978, he served as the dean of Washington National Cathedral.

After 1915, home births became less common, especially among prominent families who could afford outside medical care.

So, there you have it — the full list of 20 individuals born in the White House.

It's a unique group, comprising mainly presidential grandchildren and the children of enslaved people and staff. These births are a fascinating glimpse into how the White House wasn't just a seat of power but also a bustling family home, complete with the joys and tragedies of life. It's curious to think that behind the grandeur and historical significance, the White House also witnessed these deeply personal, often poignant moments. Perhaps next time you visit, you might picture not just the decisions and policies made within its walls but also the tiny footsteps and first cries of these 20 individuals whose lives began in such an extraordinary place.