The President's House Site

Color photo showing the outdoor exhibit at the President's House Site with the names of the nine enslaved on a wall in the foreground, and exhibit panels in the background.
The President's House Site tells the story of the paradox of liberty and enslavement in one home - and in a nation.

NPS photo.  Photograph by Joseph E.B. Elliott.

 

In the 1790s, at the President's House location at Sixth and Market Streets, Presidents George Washington and John Adams lived and conducted their executive branch business. Washington brought some of his enslaved Africans to this site and they lived and toiled with other members of his household during the years that our first president was guiding the experimental development of the young nation toward modern, republican government. Washington's large household, including enslaved African descendents, contrasted with Adams' small household. Adams never owned slaves.

The President's house in the 1790s was a mirror of the young republic, reflecting both the ideals and contradictions of the new nation. The house stood in the shadow of Independence Hall, where the words "All men are created equal" and "We the People" were adopted, but they did not apply to all who lived in the new United States of America.

Get visiting information for the President's House Site on our website.

Additional Information
History of the President's House Site

President's House Site: Presidents Washington and Adams
President's House Site: Enslaved people in the Washington Household
Ona Judge Escapes to Freedom
President's House Site: Uncovering the Past through Archeology
Memory and Truth: Excavating “Liberty” at the President’s House

 
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Last updated: September 17, 2024

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Mailing Address:

143 S. 3rd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Phone:

215-965-2305

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