If walls could talk, Number One Observatory Circle would share some stories. The residence has welcomed every Vice President since Walter Mondale in the 1970s and, today serves as Kamala Harris's home. Located on the northeast grounds of the U.
S. Naval Observatory in D.C.
, the property was built in 1893 for the observatory superintendent. However, with their offices located on the White House grounds, the home's close proximity made it a convenient base for the Vice President. Over the centuries, hundreds of notable figures have passed through the Queen Anne-style property doors, but arguably nobody knows their way around the property quite like the former manager Philip Dufour, who served as social secretary to Vice President Al Gore.
In 2021, just before Kamala Harris and Douglas Emhoff moved into their home, Dufour sat down with Homes & Gardens , revealing rare glimpses into the home. At the time, Ms. Harris and Mr.
Emhoff were temporarily residing in Blair House while the home underwent renovation for their arrival. 'Vice President Harris did not move in right away because the navy, who owns the house, had to complete a good amount of work. The wooden floors had to be redone, and all the chimney liners needed to be repaired,' Dufour says.
'Unlike the White House, there is no state floor. It is a Victorian house, and the rooms aren't huge. The dining and living rooms are on the first floor, so while these floors are used for events, they are also where they live.
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