Where did the first inauguration of George Washington take place in 1789?

George Washington's first inauguration took place at Federal Hall in New York City in 1789.

The ceremony occurred on April 30, 1789, nearly two months after the first presidential term officially began. Federal Hall stood on Wall Street and served as the meeting place of the first United States Congress.

Washington took the presidential oath on the building's second-floor balcony before a large crowd. Robert Livingston, the chancellor of New York, administered the oath because the new federal judiciary had not yet been organized.

Federal Hall is often confused with Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated and adopted in Philadelphia. Washington's inauguration also predates the construction of the White House, which became the presidential residence during John Adams's administration.