May 4th, 2010
America’s First Government formed on Wall Street
Doing business on Wall Street a majority of the time makes people too busy to notice the Federal Hall National Memorial ; the place where George Washington took the oath of office and the site of the United States first Congress, Supreme Court and Executive Branch offices. Currently, the building serves as a memorial and museum as the Birthplace of American Government. This spectacular piece of architecture is Located at 26 Wall Street and there’s no admission fee, so if you happen to have time in between going to your hotel on Wall street and your business meeting, drop by and get a taste of where America’s Government all began.
You can go on a self-guided tour or take a free guided tour and no reservations are necessary, unless you come in a group. For a self-guided tour, there are 3 things not to miss; The Bible used by George Washington as he took the oath of office as our first President (if you are visiting to specifically see the Bible, call first, because sometimes it’s out on tour); the stone floor of the balcony of the original Federal Hall, on which George Washington stood for his swearing-in ceremony; and the railing of the original Federal Hall balcony where George Washington stood to take his oath on April 30th, 1789.
Head outdoors and Park Ranger Michael Callahan, will lead a walking tour and lecture about the Battle of New York in 1776. In 90-minutes, you will be informed about the Generals and their staff, the opposing forces and the tactics used. This particular walking tour is geared for adults, history buff, college classes and special interest groups, you won’t be disappointed with just how much knowledge is available from that period in America’s history.
You might want to check the Federal Hall’s special event calendar to see if there’s any event going on while you’re in New York. An example of a past event was the ‘Defend Wall Street Draft Riots of 1863′ where the National Park Service staff discussed the Draft Riots and just how the U.S. Army, Navy and Marines, plus the New York City Police Department defended the building.
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