The White House in Tianmu was formerly used as the residence of U.S. military advisors based in Taiwan. During the Korean War in the 1950s, the U.S. sent the Seventh Fleet to the Taiwan Strait to defend Taiwan against attack from mainland China. Many Japanese-style homes were built in Taipei's Tianmu area to house U.S. military advisors based in Taiwan at that time. Designated as a city historic site, the White House is one of the few houses in Tianmu remaining from that era.