Where was the first organizing meeting of the United States Semiquincentennial Commission held?

The first organizing meeting of the United States Semiquincentennial Commission was held at Independence Hall.

The meeting took place in Philadelphia on November 16, 2018, after the commission’s members were sworn in. Independence Hall was an especially symbolic location because the Second Continental Congress met there and adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

The commission was created to coordinate observances of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Its membership included private citizens, members of Congress, and federal officials. The commission’s work was planned over several years rather than concentrated only on July 4, 2026.

Independence Hall was formerly known as the Pennsylvania State House. It should not be confused with the National Archives Building, where the engrossed Declaration is preserved today, or with Federal Hall in New York City, where George Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. president in 1789.