The President's House Site - Freedom and Slavery Side by Side

A stop on Philadelphia Independence Walk, a free self-guided tour.

From 1790 to 1800, while Philadelphia was the nation's capital, the president lived in a brick mansion on this corner. George Washington lived here for most of his presidency, and John Adams moved in after him.

Washington did not live here alone. He brought enslaved Africans from Mount Vernon to work in the house, nine people in all, including Oney Judge, a young woman who served Martha Washington, and Hercules, the household's celebrated cook.

Pennsylvania had passed a gradual abolition law in 1780 that could free enslaved people brought into the state after six months. To avoid it, Washington rotated people back to Virginia before their time ran out. In 1796 Oney Judge slipped away and escaped to New Hampshire, and Hercules later escaped too. Neither was ever returned.

The house was torn down long ago. Stand where it stood, a few steps from the Liberty Bell, and think about those two stories side by side.

Getting here: Cross Market Street to the south side at 6th Street; the open-air President's House site is at the corner, beside the entrance to the Liberty Bell Center.

Did you know?: Archaeologists dug here in 2007 and uncovered foundations of the house, including the kitchen, before the memorial site was built.

Photo op: Stand at the corner of 6th and Market and frame the site's outline with Independence Hall's tower beyond it.

More on Wikipedia: President's House · Ona Judge · Hercules Posey · George Washington

The President's House Site - Freedom and Slavery Side by Side

Stops on this tour