Harris won’t move into VP’s Naval Observatory right away

One Observatory Circle will see some maintenance projects completed before Kamala Harris takes up residence.

Jan 21, 2021

Vice President Kamala Harris won’t be immediately moving into the Naval Observatory.

The official residence of America’s second-in-command has been delayed due to needed repairs.

The historic home at One Observatory Circle will have small household maintenance projects completed, like the replacement of chimney liners and other refurbishments, now that Mike Pence and his family have moved out.

The house was built in 1893 as the residence of the superintendent of the United States Naval Observation. According to The White House, vice presidents often lived in their own homes, but as the costs of making private homes secure increased, Congress refurbished the house in 1974 as the official vice president’s residence.

The Naval Observatory home is 9,000 square feet and features six bedrooms, a reception hall and several lounges. It also features an underground tunnel that leads to a nearby Navy-operated telescope. The actual observatory is still functional, and scientists use it to “observe the stars and to determine and precisely measure the time and publish astronomical data.”

The residence at One Observatory Circle, however, does not offer public tours.

Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff have a home in Washington, D.C., however, her office has not confirmed that she will be living there while the repairs are made on the Naval Observatory.

The last vice president to delay moving into the home was Al Gore, who didn’t move in for six months after the election of President Bill Clinton in 1992. The house underwent a major renovation, including $1.6 million in repairs and upgrades.

Former Vice President Pence and former Second Lady Karen Pence made few additions to the home but did add a beehive: Honey harvesting is a passion of Mrs. Pence.

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