The White House was burned by Britsh Troops in retaliation for the burning of Yorkton...
The White House was burned in the War of 1812. Dolly Madison, wife of the President, was able to save the portrait of George Washington when she ran from the building. It was rebuilt and white paint was used to cover the damage from the fire. Since then it has been called the White House.
The British invasion of Washington D.C., in the summer of 1814 was a defining moment in the coming-of-age of the United States. The British torched the capitol, the White House, and many other public builings, setting off an inferno that illuminated the countryside for miles and forced President James Madison to gallop out of town while his wife, Dolly, stayed behind to rescue a life-size portrait of George Washington from the flames.