Joan Mondale in the official residence of the vice presidential family in 1977. AP Charles Denyer, author of "Number One Observatory Circle," wrote that the home was still in need of upgrades when the Mondales moved in. Part of the basement floor was still dirt, faucets would spout rust-colored water, and the vice president's first shower at the residence turned cold halfway through. In 1977, Walter Mondale, who served under President Jimmy Carter, became the first vice president to move into Number One Observatory Circle. Charles Denyer, author of Number One Observatory Circle, wrote that the home was still in need of upgrades when the Mondales moved in. Part of the basement floor was still dirt, faucets would spout rust-colored water, and the vice president's first shower at the residence turned cold halfway through.