Presidents and NYC

February 13, 2021
Posted in Seasonal
February 13, 2021 Dillinger's NYC Tours

Presidents Day

Presidents Day began as a celebration of George Washington the first U.S. president.  George Washington was the most admired figure in American history during the 1800’s and in 1870 his birthday was established as a federal holiday.  The Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 shifted the celebration of several federal holidays from specific dates to designated Mondays.  Washington’s birthday would be moved to the third Monday of February and be known as Presidents Day, a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents.

Presidents and NYC

There are a number of sites around New York City connected with various U.S. presidents.  Here is a partial list to help you plan your Presidents day in NYC.

#1 George Washington:

  • Federal Hall – Wall Street, George Washington took his oath of office at this spot on April 30, 1789.
  • Paul’s Chapel – 209 Broadway – During his first term in office George Washington worshiped here regularly.

#16 Abraham Lincoln:

  • Cooper Union – East 8th street and Third Avenue – on February 27th 1860 Lincoln gave an address here which propelled him to the U.S. presidency.

#18 Ulysses S. Grant:

  • General Grant National Memorial – West 122nd street and Riverside Dr. The final resting place for Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia.  It is the largest mausoleum in North America.

#21 Chester A. Arthur:

  • When president Garfield died in 1881, Arthur was sworn into office at his NYC home, 123 Lexington Avenue.

#26 Theodore Roosevelt:

  • Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace – 28 East 20th street the childhood home of the first U.S. president born in NYC.  (Because of Covid -19 restrictions this site is currently closed to the public.)

#32 Franklin D Roosevelt:

  • Roosevelt House – 47-49 East 65th Franklin, Eleanor, and their two small children moved into number 49 in 1908. It served as their home for 24 years.

#45 Donald J Trump:

  • Several buildings around the city bear his name most famously the Trump Tower on Fifth Ave.

Presidents Day Trivia

Presidents Day never falls on the actual birthday of any U.S. president.  George Washington, William Henry Harrison, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan were all born in February but their birthdays fall either too early or too late to coincide with the third Monday of the month.

 

Remember, you can book a custom tour, presidential or otherwise with Dillinger’s New York.  Get more info here.

 

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