George Washington took the oath of office at Federal Hall in New York City during his first United States presidential inauguration.
The ceremony occurred on April 30, 1789, after the new federal government created by the Constitution began operating. Washington traveled from Mount Vernon to New York, then the temporary national capital, to assume the presidency.
Federal Hall stood on Wall Street and served as the meeting place of the first Congress. Chancellor Robert Livingston administered the oath, and Washington delivered his inaugural address inside the building before appearing outside for public celebrations.
The ceremony is often confused with later inaugurations held in Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. The White House did not yet exist, and the District of Columbia had not become the national capital. Federal Hall therefore occupies a special place in the early history of the constitutional government commemorated by America250.