George Washington took the presidential oath of office at Federal Hall in New York City in 1789.
Washington’s inauguration occurred on April 30, 1789, at the building then standing on Wall Street in New York City. Robert R. Livingston, the chancellor of New York, administered the oath before a large public crowd. Washington then delivered his inaugural address to Congress.
Federal Hall had served as a meeting place for the Confederation Congress before the new constitutional government began. New York City was the first national capital under the Constitution, so the city’s government buildings hosted the opening work of the new federal administration.
The original Federal Hall was later demolished. The current Federal Hall National Memorial stands on the site and commemorates the building’s role in American constitutional history. It is distinct from Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were debated and adopted. The White House was not yet the presidential residence in 1789; Washington later became the first president to live there, beginning in 1800.