Between the Liberty Bell Center and Independence Visitor Center, this open-air site marks the Philadelphia home where George Washington and John Adams lived while the city was the nation’s capital. The house is gone, but the exhibit traces its footprint and presents the lives of enslaved people connected to the presidential household. Read the panels, watch the videos and pause at the names engraved at the site. It gives important context to the founding era and to the contradictions between liberty and slavery.
The presidential residence in Philadelphia
Philadelphia served as the national capital before the government moved to Washington, D.C. From 1790 to 1800, the house on this site was used by George Washington and John Adams. Washington lived here during his presidency, from 1790 until 1797, and Adams occupied it from 1797 to 1800.
The house was demolished in 1832. Later, the remaining walls were removed during construction of Independence Mall in the 1950s. The present open-air exhibit marks the former building’s footprint. Glass-covered sections reveal underground foundations, while rebuilt entranceways help show how the house met the street. The exposed remains also give a sense of how Philadelphia’s street level has changed over more than two centuries.
Freedom and slavery at the site
The exhibit, titled “Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation,” addresses the lives of enslaved Africans connected to the household. Washington brought nine enslaved people from Mount Vernon to Philadelphia. Their names are engraved at the site, alongside information about the people who lived and worked there.
Panels and videos place the household within the wider history of the early United States. Washington and Adams occupied the residence during a period when Philadelphia was the capital, yet slavery remained part of the country’s founding era. The exhibit presents that conflict directly and records how Philadelphians argued for an accurate account of the site’s history.
Perguntas frequentes
Where is the President's House Site?
It is on Market Street in Philadelphia, between the Liberty Bell Center and the Independence Visitor Center.
Which presidents lived at the President's House?
George Washington and John Adams lived there while Philadelphia was the national capital. Washington occupied the house from 1790 to 1797, and Adams from 1797 to 1800.
What can you see at the site?
The open-air exhibit marks the former house’s footprint, with glass-covered foundations, rebuilt entranceways, interpretive panels and videos. It also explores the lives of enslaved people connected to the household.
Is the President's House Site free to visit?
The open-air exhibit is described as free to visit.
