Federal Hall National Memorial

Federal Hall

The Federal Hall National Memorial marks the site which served as the first capital of the United States and where George Washington was inaugurated as President of the United States.

The monument is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday (closed on the weekends).

Admission is free.

This site is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

History of Federal Hall

George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States at Federal Hall in New York City. That structure served as the nation’s first capitol building and was where the Bill of Rights was introduced to congress. Unfortunately, that original building was demolished in 1812.

A chunk of the original Federal Hall building – a piece of the balcony on which George Washington stood for his first inauguration – was preserved and is on display in the National Memorial.

The structure which now operates at the Federal Hall National Memorial was constructed on the same site as the original Federal Hall. It was originally constructed as the United States Customs House for the Port of New York in 1842. It served as the Customs House until 1862, then as a United States Sub-Treasury location, before being established as the Federal Hall Memorial National Historic Site in 1939.

A bronze statue of George Washington has stood on the steps of the structure since 1883, marking the approximate location where he stood when first inaugurated as President of the United States.

Exhibits

The monument’s galleries feature exhibits about George Washington and the early days of the United States of America. Items on display include the bible used when George Washington took his oath of office as President.

The monument’s visitor center is located near the Pine Street entrance, on the main floor. You’ll find a park ranger there to answer questions, plus the center is operated in cooperation with NYC’s tourism organization, so there’s lots of information about other New York City attractions.

Location

The Federal Hall National Memorial is located on Wall Street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan.

The street address is 26 Wall Street.