George and Martha Washington's presidential house, Philadelphia

Martha Washington as first lady

In1790, Congress voted to move the nation’s capital from New York City to a temporary location in Philadelphia. Senator Robert Morris, a wealthy financier, offered his home to the Washingtons to serve as the residence for the chief executive and his family. Although Washington accepted the offer, he found the house too small to function as the social center of the new government. After ordering the house’s expansion and renovation, Washington closely oversaw the process so that the residence would meet his—and the country’s--needs (image courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania).

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