Federal Hall hosted George Washington’s first presidential inauguration in 1789, a founding event linked to America250.
Federal Hall stood on Wall Street in New York City, which served as the nation’s capital during the first years of the constitutional government. Washington took the presidential oath on the building’s second-floor balcony on April 30, 1789.
The ceremony was conducted before crowds gathered in the streets. Robert R. Livingston, New York’s chancellor, administered the oath, and Washington later delivered his inaugural address inside the Senate chamber. The event formally began operations of the executive branch under the Constitution.
Federal Hall is sometimes confused with Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the Constitutional Convention met. The White House did not yet exist as the president’s residence in 1789; Washington lived in private houses in New York and later Philadelphia.