Additional Information
This Highland Dancer is dressed in a traditional Scottish kilt in the official tartan of the White House Historical Association, a tribute to the eight Scottish stonemasons who traveled to Washington in 1794 to embellish the sandstone selected by George Washington for the White House. Thirty-four American presidents have claimed Scottish heritage. The five colors woven into the tartan represent the fundamental colors associated with the architectural fabric of the White House itself. Three colors represent the iconic formal parlors on the State Floor: the Red Room, Green Room, and Blue Room. The gray represents the Aquia sandstone and the artistry of the Scots stonemasons. The white represents the white exterior of the White House, which was first whitewashed by the stonemasons to protect the porous Aquia sandstone. It was later painted white, inspiring the name by which the house is known today.
★ ★ ★