1788 - 1784 Pierre Charles L’Enfant  opens an engineering and architecture firm; General Washington provides public commissions including the renovation of Federal Hall and the city plan for the nation’s new capital

1789 - Archibald Robertson's View up Wall Street with City Hall (Federal Hall) and Trinity Church, New York City, from around 1798 

1789 - 1790 hand-colored engraving by Amos Doolittle, depicting Washington's April 30, 1789, inauguration  Federal Hall, Seat of Congress

1842 - Interior of receiving division of currency in the rotunda Sub Treasury, 1899 

1842 - Roof Detail, 1941 

1842 - Cornice detail, 1941 

1842 - View of stone roof, 1937 

1842 - Roof showing lantern over the rotunda, 1937 

1842 - Attic showing stairs to roof, 1937 

1842 - First floor corridor looking north, 1937 

1842 - View of the Dome ceiling, 1941  The dome was originally intended to be coffered, as is common in classical architecture. Instead, a series of zigzag panels taper toward the central skylight, contrasting with the geometric order of the rest of the interior. The panels are adorned with an Anthemion (palm leaf) motif, a common ornamental feature of Greek architecture borrowed from Egypt. Note also the ring of stone rosettes circling the skylight.

1842 - First floor corridor looking south, 1937 

1842 - View of the rotunda over the balcony looking south, 1937  The gilded iron balcony is among the most beautiful and intricate features of the rotunda interior. The lower portion (called the "skirt") is embellished with the same Anthemion motif as the dome. The female figure seen to the right in the above photo is called a caryatid, another common feature of Greek architecture that is decorative but also acts as structural support for the railing above. The remainder of the railing features a floral design

1842 - View of the rotunda 

1842 - View of rotunda over the balcony looking north, 1937 

1842 - View of the rotunda looking south from the floor level, 1937  The Sub-Treasury desks were arranged around the rotunda of the building.

1842 - First floor, Colonnade of rotunda 

1842 - Capital of rotunda column, 1937 

1842 - Interior showing office space, 1937 

1842 - Stairs to the roof from the attic, 1937 

1842 - Sub-basement under the rotunda, 1937 

1842 - Basement showing support of the rotunda floor, 1937 

1842 - Underside of spiral stone steps, 1941 

1842 - Stairs to the sub-basement, 1937 

1842 - First floor, Rotunda, Doorway detail 

1842 - Baluster detail, 1941 

1842 - Detail of starting newel, 1941 

1842 - Drawings - North Elevation 

1842 - Drawing - South Elevation 

1842 - Drawing - West Elevation 

1842 - Drawings - Building Section Longitudinal  

1842 - Drawings - Basement Plan 

1842 - Drawings - First Floor Plan 

1842 - Drawings - Second Floor Plan 

1842 - Drawings - Attic Plan 

1842 - Drawings - Roof Plan 

1986 - Front facade 

1986 - Perspective view of main elevation 

1986 - The Custom House building opened in 1842 at a cost of $928,312  

1986 - Greek Revival–style building, the original building was a Federal style   The original design called for a colonnade of eight columns facing Wall and Pine Streets, square pilasters on Nassau Street, a massive coffered dome protruding above the roof, and a cruciform floor plan.

1986 - The stones from Wall Street's old fortifications were used for original City Hall. 

1986 - After the relocation of the Custom House, 26 Wall Street was transformed into a building for the United States Sub-Treasury. 

1986 - By the late 1930s, the Sub-Treasury building was planned to be torn down.  Consequently, a group called Federal Hall Memorial Associates was formed in 1939, raising money to prevent the building's demolition. The building was designated as Federal Hall Memorial National Historic Site on May 26, 1939.

1986 - Plaque commemorating the passage of the Northwest Ordinance and settlement of the Northwest Territory  'On this site the United State in Congress Assembled on the 13th day of July in the Year of Our Lord 1787 and of their sovereignty and Independence the twelfth, enacted an Ordinance for the government of the territory north west of the River Ohio, by which it was dedicated forever to freedom. Under another Ordinance, passed here by the same body on the 27th day of the same month, Manasseh Cutler, acting for "The Ohio Company of Associates" an organization of soldiers of the Revolutionary Army, purchased from the Board of Treasury for settlement a portion of the waste and vacant land of the territory. On April 7th 1788 Rufus Putnam heading a party of forty eight began the first settlement at Marietta and on July 15th Arthur St. Clair as first Governor established civil government in the territory. From these beginnings sprang the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.'

1986 - "General George Washington in Prayer at Valley Forge” by James Edward Kelly.  “I now make it my earnest prayer that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for brethren who have served in the field; and finally that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation.” —Washington’s “Earnest Prayer” was written by him at Newburgh, New York, at the close of the Revolutionary War, and appeared in the Circular Letter Addressed to the Governors of all the States on the Disbanding of the Army, June 14, 1783

1986 - 'Women in the face of History' exhibition poster, 2021 

1789 - 1st US Capitol  After the Revolutionary War, America’s First Congress met in City Hall (Federal Hall) from 1785 to 1790, the Bill of Rights was written and ratified. New York City was the first capital of the United States once the Constitution was ratified. George Washington took the oath of office to become the first President of the United States from the balcony of the old City Hall. Pierre L’Enfant renovated the building from the former British colonial city hall.

1734 - John Peter Zenger's Sedition Trial  John Peter Zenger was a German printer and journalist in New York City. Zenger printed The New York Weekly Journal. He was accused of libel in 1734 by William Cosby, the royal governor of New York, but the jury acquitted Zenger, who became a symbol for freedom of the press. In 1733, Zenger began printing The New York Weekly Journal, which voiced opinions critical of the colonial governor, William Cosby. On November 17, 1734, on Cosby's orders, the sheriff arrested Zenger. After a grand jury refused to indict him, the Attorney General Richard Bradley charged him with libel in August 1735. Zenger's lawyers, Andrew Hamilton and William Smith, Sr., successfully argued that truth is a defense against charges of libel. John Peter Zenger trial would lead the way for the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

1918 - Selling Liberty Bonds in New York City  On the afternoon of April 8, 1918, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks decided to do their part in the fundraising and made their way to the Sub Treasury Building. Between 20,000 and 30,000 people turned out to see their antics, the largest crowd ever assembled on Wall Street up to that time.
Chaplin threw himself into the war effort, embarking on a nationwide tour to promote the sale of bonds. That year he would make a propaganda film called 'The Bond'. But there may have been a bit of self-promotion in his appearance at the Sub Treasury. His film 'A Dog’s Life' would conveniently open in movie theaters five days later.
People weren’t used to hearing their movie stars speak in 1918. “I never made a speech before in my life,” he proclaimed through a megaphone that noon, standing in front of the statue of George Washington. “But I believe I can make one now.”
Fairbanks — known for swashbucklers and romances — happily broke character, goofing around with Chaplin to the delight of the crowd. “Folks, I’m so hoarse from urging people to buy Liberty bonds that I can hardly speak.”

2011 - Occupy Wall Street  Protesters set up camp in Zuccotti Park bringing economic inequality into the national spotlight spawning a worldwide Occupy movement. The Canadian anti-consumerist and pro-environment group/magazine Adbusters initiated the call for a protest. The main issues raised by Occupy Wall Street were social and economic inequality, greed, corruption, and the undue influence of corporations on government—particularly from the financial services sector. The OWS slogan, "We are the 99%", refers to income and wealth inequality in the U.S. between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population.

1789 - 1st Presidential Inauguration  George Washington took the oath of office as the first president of the United States. He delivered his first inaugural address to a joint session of Congress, assembled in Federal Hall in the nation's new capital, New York City.

1929 - Stock Market Crash of 1929  On "Black Thursday", the economic bubble of the Roaring Twenties finally burst. Triggered by an overconfident public who were actively trading stocks purchased with easy credit, a raise in the interest rate by the Federal Reserve, low wages, the proliferation of debt, a struggling agricultural sector and an excess of large bank loans that could not be liquidated. Stock prices fall sharply on a day of heavy liquidation. The following Monday, "Black Monday", the stock market falls 22.6%, the highest one-day decline in U.S. history. The crash triggers similar declines in markets around the world. The next day, "Black Tuesday", panic sets in as investors all try to sell their stocks at once. Over 16 million shares of stock were sold, setting a market record of over $14 billion in paper losses. Stock tickers could keep up with the heavy trading volume. At the end of the day, the market was down 33 points, more than 12.8% and the Great Depression began. Panic set in, and on October 24, Black Thursday, a record 12,894,650 shares were traded. ... Black Monday was followed by Black Tuesday (October 29, 1929), in which stock prices collapsed completely and 16,410,030 shares were traded on the New York Stock Exchange in a single day

1920 - Wall Street Bombing of 1920  As a symbol of Wall Street excesses, 23 Wall Street, the Bank of JP Morgan, was the target of a bomb attack on September 16, 1920. 33people were killed and more than 400 were injured. The perpetrators were never found. The facade also suffered significant damage. The pock marks from the explosion are still visible in the marble facade. One of the mobs which pushed everywhere trying to get word of friends or relatives following the bomb explosion in the office of J.P. Morgan & Co. at Broad and Wall Streets which killed at least 15 and injured hundreds

1888 - Great Blizzard of 1888  The Great Blizzard of 1888, Great Blizzard of '88, or the Great White Hurricane (March 11–14, 1888) was one of the most severe recorded blizzards in American history. The storm paralyzed the East Coast from the Chesapeake Bay to Maine, as well as the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Snow fell from 10 to 58 inches (25 to 147 cm) in parts of New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and sustained winds of more than 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) produced snowdrifts in excess of 50 feet (15 m). Railroads were shut down and people were confined to their homes for up to a week. Railway and telegraph lines were disabled, and this provided the impetus to move these pieces of infrastructure underground. Emergency services were also affected. In New York, neither rail nor road transport was possible anywhere for days, and drifts across the New York–New Haven rail line at Westport, Connecticut, took eight days to clear. Transportation gridlock as a result of the storm was partially responsible for the creation of the first underground subway system in the United States, which opened nine years later in Boston. The New York Stock Exchange was closed for two days. Similarly, telegraph infrastructure was disabled, isolating Montreal and most of the large northeastern U.S. cities from Washington, D.C. to Boston for days. Following the storm, New York began placing its telegraph and telephone infrastructure underground to prevent their destruction.

2015 - July 4th Celebration in New York City  The Lower Manhattan Historical Association ("LMHA") holds a parade through Lower Manhattan every year starting 2015. This parade is part of a resurgence of patriotic activities in Lower Manhattan on July 4, after a long hiatus from 1976 to 2015. It is in recognition of the recent growth of Lower Manhattan as one of the City's fastest growing residential neighborhoods and as one of the City's major centers of historical tourism. The parade, which traverses Wall Street and passes many of the historic monuments in Lower Manhattan - is designed to provide marchers and spectators with an understanding of the tremendous historic importance of Lower Manhattan.

1883 - George Washington at Federal Hall  This sculpture depicts the moment after President Washington took the oath of office, which he did at Federal Hall on Wall Street in 1789. The pedestal was designed by Richard Morris Hunt.

2018 - Eureka : 40 foot sculpture  The massive sculpture is a brick facade of a canal house reminiscent of those that would have been found in 17th century, New York City’s Dutch colonial history. The one-ton hand-painted sculpture, is a 40-foot-high facade of a 17th-century gabled Dutch canal house. When George Washington was inaugurated at Federal hall in 1789, the New York City that had survived the brutal seven-year British occupation was still peppered with vestiges of the homes that 17th century settlers from the Low Countries had left behind. But those slender, gabled canal houses with their Flanders-brick facades were hardly the only legacy of 40 years of Dutch rule, from 1624-1664. What made New York unique among the American settlements was that the Dutch also instilled the values of religious freedom and free trade, well over a century before the first Congress enshrined those freedoms at Federal Hall, in what became known as the Bill of Rights. Originally Commissioned by curator Jan Hoet for his exhibition titled “Over the Edges” in Ghent, Belgium, Tolle replaced the façade of a 17th-century Flemish canal house with a three-dimensional version of its reflection in the water below, blurring the border between architecture and its environment. Tolle named the facade “Eureka” for the exclamation of discovery often attributed to Archimedes

2017 - Flag Exchange: A living thing  An art installation of 50 distressed flags collected from each of the 50 states. The American flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Artist Mel Ziegler journeyed through all 50 United States between 2011 and 2016 and exchanged distressed American flags flying at civic and private locations—city halls, post offices, hospitals, homes, and schools—for new flags. The 50 decayed flags form a work, Flag Exchange, that spans the geography of our union, and represents the spectrum of our allegiance. Ziegler’s work is the catalyst for A Living Thing, which seeks to create space for common ground within our increasingly fractured civil discourse. A Living Thing offers a sanctuary for conversations, performances, debate, and acts of solidarity and resistance Flag Exchange offers a powerful reminder that artists do new and vital things for our public life, even when nothing else works. Art finds the common ground that we've otherwise lost.