ow ▁Window " ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁wall ▁of ▁the ▁President ' s ▁House , ▁en larg ing ▁the ▁State ▁D ining ▁Room ▁and ▁the ▁State ▁Draw ing ▁Room ▁above ▁it . ▁This ▁may ▁have ▁inspired ▁the ▁Pow els ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁three - story ▁half - t ur ret ▁addition ▁to ▁their ▁city ▁house . ▁While ▁its ▁exterior ▁was ▁cant ed ▁( like ▁a ▁bay ▁window ), ▁the ▁interior ▁wall ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁bow ed ▁( cur ved ), ▁en larg ing ▁the ▁rear ▁parl ors ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁second ▁flo ors ▁and ▁the ▁rear ▁bed room ▁on ▁the ▁third , ▁and ▁adding ▁windows ▁over looking ▁the ▁garden . ▁The ▁half - t ur ret ▁addition ▁is ▁visible ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 7 9 9 ▁print ▁by ▁William ▁Bir ch ▁and ▁an ▁ 1 8 1 7 ▁print ▁attributed ▁to ▁William ▁Str ick land . ▁Some ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁half - t ur ret ▁addition ▁was ▁demol ished ▁and ▁the ▁south ▁wall ▁of ▁the ▁Pow el ▁House ▁became ▁a ▁party ▁wall ▁shared ▁with ▁a ▁new ▁building . ▁ ▁Samuel ▁Pow el ▁died ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 9 3 ▁yellow ▁fe ver ▁ep ide mic ▁that ▁killed ▁about ▁ 1 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁population . ▁After ▁President - E lect ▁John ▁Adams ▁passed ▁on ▁bu ying ▁them , ▁Mrs . ▁Pow el ▁bought ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁items ▁from ▁soon - to - be - ex - Pres ident