Old San Juan - White House

(Local Name: Casa Blanca) Casa Blanca (White House) was built in 1521 as a reward for Ponce de León. Although León died before he could live in it, the building housed his descendants for 250 years. The Casa Blanca is surrounded by a garden and portrays the grandeur of 17th and 18th C Spanish elite. In later years, the house was used as a headquarters for Spanish and then American military. Today the Casa Blanca mansion serves as National Historic Monument, housing a museum of 16th, 17th and 18th C history. Each room is decorated in a style associated with a period of the house's history.