The first building on this site was constructed in 1699, as New York’s second city hall. The original Congress, after the Revolutionary War, met here from 1785 until 1789. In 1788, the building was remodeled by Pierre L’Enfant, and was the first building in the Federal style. After the Federal government moved to Philadelphia, the building again became New York’s city hall, until 1812 when the building was torn down. In 1842, a new building in the Classical style was erected, serving as a Customs House until 1862. From then until 1920, the building was a sub-Treasury of the U.S. Treasury.
Bronze statue of George Washington, in the spot where he was inaugurated George Washington overlooking Wall Street Flag Exchange is an art project by Mel Ziegler, displayed in Federal Hall. Ziegler went to all 50 states and took a flying flag that was in a distressed state, and then replaced it with a new flag. These are the 50 distressed flags he took.
This vault off the rotunda of Federal Hall was part of the U.S. Treasury warehouse for storing money in the 1860’s and 1870’s. Stronger and larger vaults were built in the basement as the money supply increased.This vault at Federal Hall contained imported goods in the 1800’s, when this building served as a customs house.
