“Long Live George Washington, President of the United States!”
Public service beckoned George Washington once again. The American people unanimously elected Washington as the first President of the United States, under the new Constitution (1787). On April 30, 1789, New York awakened at dawn to a salute from guns on the Battery for Washington’s inauguration day. At noon, dressed in plain brown broadcloth, to support American industry, Washington stepped onto the second-floor balcony of Federal Hall (at the intersection of Broad and Wall St.) and performed the Oath of Office. Robert R. Livingston, after his administration of the oath, proclaimed, “Long Live George Washington, President of the United States!” The joyous crowd followed suit.
The Federal Edifice depicted above is Federal Hall (1703-1812) once located at the intersection of Broad and Wall Streets. The building was the site of the first Federal Congress, and George Washington’s first inauguration as President of the United States. The current building which stands at Broad and Wall Street is the Sub-Treasury, constructed in 1842.
In New York, Washington developed the American presidency; every move he made set a precedent in the office’s political and social aspects. When living in the city, the Washingtons took up residents at 3 Cherry Street. The family brought in a household staff that included fourteen servants, seven enslaved people, and the household steward, Samuel Fraunces.
Washington’s most considerable contribution to the institution was the development of the presidential cabinet. The first cabinet consisted of the Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of War Henry Knox, the Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. 54 Pearl, or Fraunces Tavern, served as the headquarters for the Federal Government’s early departments. General Henry Knox and the War Department held offices on the first floor of the tavern. The State Department was located on the second floor, with the third floor being occupied by the Treasury Department. Washington’s tenure as President in New York was brief, as the nation’s capital moved to Philadelphia in 1790.
This Carriage Panel was part of George Washington’s inaugural carriage, used on his trip from Mount Vernon to New York City. The Coat-of-Arms, seen on the panel, was the final draft for the Great Seal of the United States. Located in the center is the bald eagle, national bird of the United States.
