section_path: Early history/1789–1800
section_name: 1789–1800
paragraph_text: 1789–1800
  
  Following his inauguration on April 30, 1789, President George Washington occupied two private houses in New York City, which served as the nation's first executive mansion. He lived at the first, Walter Franklin House, which was owned by Treasury Commissioner Samuel Osgood, at 3 Cherry Street, through late February 1790. The executive mansion moved to the larger quarters at Alexander Macomb House at 39–41 Broadway, where Washington stayed with his wife Martha and a small staff until August 1790. In May 1790, construction began on Government House, a new official residence in Manhattan.
  
  Washington, however, never lived at Government House since the national capital was moved to Philadelphia in 1790, where it remained through 1800. The July 1790 Residence Act designated the capital be permanently located in the new Federal District, and temporarily in Philadelphia for ten years while the permanent capital was built. Philadelphia rented the mansion of Robert Morris, a merchant, at 190 High Street, now 524–30 Market Street, as the President's House, which Washington occupied from November 1790 to March 1797. Since the house was too small to accommodate the 30 people who then made up the presidential family, staff, and servants, Washington had the house enlarged.
  
  President John Adams, who succeeded Washington and served as the nation's second president, occupied the High Street mansion in Philadelphia from March 1797 to May 1800. Philadelphia began construction of a much grander presidential mansion several blocks away in 1792. It was nearly completed by the time of Adams' 1797 inauguration. However, Adams chose not to occupy it, saying he did not have Congressional authorization to lease the building. It remained vacant until 1800 when it was sold to the University of Pennsylvania.
  
  On Saturday, November 1, 1800, Adams became the first president to occupy the White House. President's House in Philadelphia was converted into Union Hotel and then used for stores before being demolished in 1832.