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Taft ordered the Oval Office to be built from what used to be the secretary's office. Since part of the room was already round, it was turned into an oval.
In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt got tired of the White House being so cramped and ordered the West Wing to be built.
It was President William Howard Taft who ordered the first version of the Oval Office to be constructed in 1909.
Although the Oval Office is the President's workroom, there was no designated office area during the first 100 years of White House history.
However, there still wasn't an Oval Office, and Roosevelt's command center became the Roosevelt Room, which was square.
During the 1800s, most Presidents worked and lived in the same rooms.
Oval rooms were really popular in the early days of American democracy. Even George Washington had oval-shaped rooms in his home in Philadelphia, which allowed guests to mingle easily.
It's believed that Taft's desire for an Oval Office right in the middle of the West Wing showed his desire to be more involved with the day-to-day operation of the presidency.
So in 1934, he relocated the Oval Office to the southeast corner of the West Wing, where it remains today.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt didn't like the location of Taft’s Oval Office because it was in the center of the West Wing and without any windows.
Today, the Oval Office is 35 feet (10.9m) long and 29 feet (8.8m) wide, providing room for both private work and public meetings.
Each incoming president decorates the Oval Office to suit their own personal tastes.
One of the permanent fixtures in the Oval Office is the Presidential Seal on the ceiling.
Across from the president's desk is the fireplace with two Martha Washington chairs. This is where the president meets with foreign leaders.
In some TV shows, it seems like the Oval Office is disconnected from the rest of the White House. In reality, there are four doors leading to the rest of the West Wing.
Two doors on the north side of the Oval Office are designed to blend into the wall.
President Jimmy Carter is one of the few presidents who didn't redecorate the Oval Office.
President John F. Kennedy had the Oval Office covered with ocean and Navy-themed decor.
Bill Clinton had two busts of his favorite presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, on his desk.
Preferring a touch of antique gold, President George W. Bush also hung up lots of pictures of his native Texas.
President Barack Obama switched things up and favored a mix of traditional and modern art.
The presidential flag remains to the president's left, and the US flag is always on the president's right.
President Truman had a sign on his Oval Office desk that read, "The buck stops here," meaning that you have to take responsibility for something and won't pass the responsibility on to someone else.
Both President Reagan and President Clinton had the slogan "It can be done" on their desk.
Sources: (White House History) (PBS Learning) (National Archives)
See also: Fascinating little-known facts about life in the White House
The Resolute Desk was a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. It was built from the oak timbers of the British Arctic exploration ship HMS Resolute.
Most presidents since JFK have used the same desk since his presidency. It's called the Resolute Desk.
Apart from paintings and colors, each President famously gets to redesign the Oval Office rug to their own liking.
Regardless of the design, though, the middle of the rug carries the presidential seal.
The seal in the rug contains an eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and a bunch of arrows in the other. Before World War II, the eagle was looking towards the arrows. However, President Truman decided that the eagle should instead look towards the olive branch to represent a future of peace.
The working space of the President of the United States, the Oval Office symbolizes power, command, and authority. Associated with the presidency itself through memorable images, the iconic office only opened in 1909, becoming since the spot where historic decisions are made, agreements are hammered out, and legislation is discussed. It's also where the President meets important guests and dignitaries and where America's leaders get to enjoy rare moments of peace and quiet.
Click on to learn more about the Oval Office.
Fascinating facts you probably didn't know about the Oval Office
This is where the President handles important work
LIFESTYLE White house
The working space of the President of the United States, the Oval Office symbolizes power, command, and authority. Associated with the presidency itself through memorable images, the iconic office only opened in 1909, becoming since the spot where historic decisions are made, agreements are hammered out, and legislation is discussed. It's also where the President meets important guests and dignitaries and where America's leaders get to enjoy rare moments of peace and quiet.
Click on to learn more about the Oval Office.