Presidents’ Day was originally a federal holiday established to honor the life and legacy of founding father George Washington, the first president of the United States of America, born on Feb. 22, 1732. A dozen states or more states also opted to celebrate the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president, born Feb. 12, 1809.
But since 1971, the federal holiday observed on the third Monday of February has served to remember all past U.S. presidents. And even if all you can see of Chester A. Arthur’s home at 123 Lexington Ave. is a bronze plaque outside, New York City and the surrounding area have plenty of impressive presidential sites to offer.
“New York does have lots of different connections to presidential history,” said Lily Wong, associate curator and manager of history exhibits at New-York Historical Society. “But I think that the biggest one is that New York City was briefly the capital of the United States. George Washington’s inauguration took place in downtown New York at a place called Federal Hall. And so that’s where he took the very first oath of office and gave the first inaugural address.”
The following is a list of significant places in and around New York that you can visit to explore our presidential past.
New-York Historical Society
You don’t have to fly to Washington D.C. to glimpse the Oval Office: a detailed recreation of the space can be found on the 4th floor of the New-York Historical Society. Visitors can listen to recordings of presidential histories while they explore the model, details of which were inspired by the actual decor during Ronald Reagan’s second term, according to the Society website. The special chamber is part of the “Meet the Presidents’” Gallery, which traces the evolution and history of the highest office in the land through artworks and objects, including the Bible used in 1789 to swear in President Washington. For more information on hours and tickets, visit here.
Federal Hall National Memorial
Federal…
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