New York City

Battery Park (Fort George Site)

Landmark · Battery Park, New York, NY 10004

The southern tip of Manhattan, now Battery Park, was the site of Fort George — the British colonial fortification that anchored the defense of New York harbor. The fort was demolished after the Revolution and the area extended by landfill. The park today features Castle Clinton (1811), a later fortification, and offers views of the harbor that explain immediately why control of New York was the central British strategic objective from 1776 onward.

Federal Hall National Memorial

Government · 26 Wall St, New York, NY 10005

Federal Hall was the site of Washington's first presidential inauguration on April 30, 1789 — the first inauguration under the new Constitution. The original building served as New York's city hall, then as the first capitol of the United States. The present Greek Revival structure, completed 1842, replaced the original. A bronze statue of Washington marks the spot on Wall Street where he took the oath of office. The National Park Service maintains the site.

Fraunces Tavern

Tavern · 54 Pearl St, New York, NY 10004

Built in 1719 and operated by Samuel Fraunces as the Queen's Head Tavern from 1762, this is the site of Washington's emotional farewell to his officers on December 4, 1783 — days after British forces evacuated New York. Washington embraced each officer individually, reportedly weeping, before leaving for Annapolis to resign his commission. The building survived the Revolution and stands today as a museum and restaurant, making it one of the oldest surviving structures in Manhattan.

Morris-Jumel Mansion

Historic House · 65 Jumel Terrace, New York, NY 10032

The oldest surviving house in Manhattan, built 1765 by Roger Morris. In September 1776, Washington used it as his headquarters during the desperate defense of northern Manhattan following the loss of Brooklyn Heights. From this house, Washington directed the retreat through Harlem Heights and eventually out of Manhattan entirely. The mansion changed hands several times during the British occupation of New York and was later owned by Stephen Jumel. Operated today as a museum by the City of New York.

St. Paul's Chapel

Church · 209 Broadway, New York, NY 10007

Built in 1766 and the only pre-Revolutionary building in lower Manhattan to have survived intact, St. Paul's Chapel was Washington's place of worship during New York's brief tenure as the national capital. On April 30, 1789 — the day of his inauguration — Washington walked here from Federal Hall for a service of thanksgiving. Washington's pew is preserved. The churchyard contains graves of Revolutionary War soldiers and prominent New Yorkers of the period.

Trinity Church and Cemetery

Cemetery · 89 Broadway, New York, NY 10006

Trinity Church, founded 1697, is one of the oldest Episcopal parishes in the United States. Its churchyard contains the grave of Alexander Hamilton, killed in a duel with Aaron Burr in 1804 and buried here at the request of his family. Robert Fulton and other prominent figures of the founding era are also interred here. The church was used as a stable and barracks during the British occupation. The present building dates to 1846, but the cemetery — one of the oldest in New York — retains graves from the colonial and Revolutionary periods.