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Home , Federal Hall, John Quincy Adams Ward

FEDERAL HALL ^Memorial directed to Parliament, and a Declaration of and on January 11, 1785, began meeting in City approved the expenditure of funds for putting 24. The Bill of Rights was adopted the follow­ Rights and Grievances was drawn up. In the Hall. Here, on February 21, 1787, the resolu­ the building in "proper order and repair." ing day and transmitted to the States for ratifica­ following year Parliament voted to rescind the tion calling for the Federal Constitutional Con­ tion. Stamp Act. vention at was adopted. The Con­ C7TY HALL BECOMES In July 1790, a 10-mile-square site on the In September 1774, the First Continental stitution, the result of 4 months' labor, was FEDERAL HALL banks of the Potomac (the District of Columbia) Congress convening at Philadelphia in Carpen­ transmitted on September 28 from the City Hall was chosen as the site of the permanent capital. MEMORIAL ters Hall, now a part of Independence National to the States for ratification. Under the supervision of Major Charles Pierre On the last day of August, the Federal Govern­ Historical Park Project, undertook peaceful While the Constitutional Convention labored L'Enfant, City Hall was largely reconstructed in ment was transferred from to Phila­ National Historic Site measures seeking redress of the colonies' rights behind closed doors at Philadelphia, the Conti­ 1788-89. At the time the First Congress under delphia, where it remained for 10 years before and liberties violated by the British. These nental Congress, in New York, adopted the the Constitution held its initial session, the moving to Washington. Utilized alternately for efforts failed. Before the Second Continental famous of 1787 which building, then known as Federal Hall, was said State and city offices during the two decades DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Congress convened on May 10,1775, the Ameri­ provided for the government of the territory to be the most beautiful in America. In an following, the now crumbling Federal Hall was Douglas McKay, Secretary can Revolution was in progress. The next year northwest of the River. In September upper chamber of this building, the electoral sold for salvage in 1812 for $425. that Congress adopted the Declaration of 1788, that body designated to votes were counted, on April 6, 1789, and an Conrad L. Wirth, Director Independence. be the capital of the United States under the announcement was made of the unanimous Constitution. The New York City Council election of as fitst Presi­ Aftet the War, the THE HISTORIC SITE selected New York as the seat of government promptly offered the use of the City Hall and dent. On , while standing on the Site of old Federal Hall, first Capitol of the United States of America balcony, Washington took the . In 1842, the present structure, one of the most under the Constitution. Within the next few months, the Depart­ outstanding examples of Greek Revival archi­ ments of State, War, and Treasury were estab­ tecture in the United States, was completed on lished by the Congress, meeting at Federal Hall. the site of old Fedetal Hall. It served as the City Hall, 1701—88. Courtesy, the New York Historical Society. The Supreme Court was created on September New York City Custom House until 1862 when N the old on this site THE CITY HALL I occurred some of the most momentous events in American history: the trial and ac­ The City Hall, which was destined to become quittal of John Petet Zenger, marking the first the scene of so many historic events, was built in 1699-1700. Prior to that time, the city govern­ at his press—a model in the important victory in the continuing struggle for Washington's Inauguration at Federal Hall, 1789. Zenger Room. freedom of the press and freedom of speech in ment had been quarteted in the old Dutch America; the , angrily pro­ Stadt Huys on , and it was late in testing British "taxation without representa­ 1703 before the functions of government were tion"; the sessions of the Second Continental transferred to the new building. Congress, adopting resolutions calling the Fed­ The first important historical episodes to take eral Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, place in City Hall began in 1734, when John adopting the Northwest Ordinance and trans­ Peter Zenger was imprisoned in its garret on a mitting the completed Federal Constitution to charge of publishing "seditious libels" in his the colonial legislatures for ratification. In this newspaper, the New York Weekly Journal. De­ building, altered and renamed Federal Hall, fended by Andrew Hamilton, one of the most convened the First Congress under the Constitu­ brilliant lawyers in the colonies, Zenger was tion, and on its balcony General Washington acquitted on August 4, 1735. This was the first was inaugurated first President of the United significant step toward establishing a free press States of America. Here the Departments of and freedom of speech in America. State, War, and Treasury were created; the On October 7, 1765, the Stamp Act Congress Supteme Court came into existence; and the convened at City Hall to offer the first organ­ Congress adopted the Bill of Rights. ized opposition to England's colonial policy. Delegates from 9 of the 13 colonies partici­ Cover: Federal Hall Memorial. Courtesy, Mr. Schell pated. Before adjourning on October 26, an Lewis. Address was sent to the King, petitions were it became the United States Sub-Treasury. Later it housed the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a number of minor government offices. After most of these had been removed, civic and patriotic organizations in and about FEDERAL HALL New York conceived the idea of preserving the structure as a memorial to the founding of our republican form of government. The area be­ came a part of the National Park Service on ^Memorial May 26,1939, when it was designated a national historic site by the Secretary of the Interior. Other nearby areas in the National Park Sys­ tem include National Monu­ ment, on Bedloe's Island, Na­ tional Monument, New York City, and Morris- town National Historical Park,Morristown, N.J.

PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES FOR VISITORS

The site is open daily to visitors from 8 a. m. to 4 p. m. During these hours exhibits of his­ toric objects and documents associated with this site may be seen. One room is set aside as a memorial to John Peter Zenger, in which are Statue of Washington by Ward exhibits depicting the struggle in the colonies on the steps of the Memorial. for freedom of the press. The stone on which Washington traditionally stood to take the oath of office is preserved in pendent subway (-Nassau Street Sta­ the rotunda. tion), or BMT subway (Fulton Street Station). Free literature and information may be se­ cured by all visitors, and special service is pro­ ADMINISTRATION vided groups and organizations if arrangements are made in advance. No charges are made for Federal Hall Memorial National Historic Site admission or service. is owned by the people of the United States and administered for them by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the HOW TO REACH THE SITE Interior. The Federal Government is assisted in Federal Hall Memorial National Historic Site all phases of restoration, preservation, and inter­ is situated in lower at the corner of pretation by Federal Hall Memorial Associates, Wall and Nassau Streets, just off Broadway. It Inc., under the terms of a cooperative agree­ is within convenient walking distance of South ment dated February 20, 1940. SUBWAYS: • IRT A BMT A IND • HUDSON TUBES Ferry, the landing place for ferries from Staten All communications concerning the site Island, , and the Statue of should be addressed to the Superintendent, FEDERAL HALL MEMORIAL Liberty. The site is easily reached by Broadway Statue of Liberty National Monument, Bedloe's bus, IRT subway ( Station), Inde- Island, New York 4, N. Y NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE; 1953 O-F—243453