Washington, D.C. is the heart of our nation's government and history, but hasn't always been home to the presidential inauguration. In 1789, President George Washington took the first oath of office in New York City but, by 1791, the country officially moved its capital—and Inauguration Day—to the District of Columbia.
President Washington appointed Pierre Charles L'Enfant to design the city's layout, who chose to place the U.S. Capitol at the center of the city. By 1801, the nation's new capital was ready to host the inauguration of our third president, Thomas Jefferson. But the brand new national buildings didn't last long: The War of 1812 brought on the Burning of Washington, which destroyed many of Washington's public buildings—including the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the White House. Rather than move the capital, our nation's leaders decided to rebuild.
Over the next 100 years, Washington, D.C. grew into the monumental city first envisioned by L'Enfant. His design for a "Grand Avenue" inspired the National Mall: an expansive, open national park that stretches two miles from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. The National Mall serves as an anchor for our national monuments—both old and new—like the Smithsonian Castle (finished in 1855) and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (completed in 2011). Many of our country's historical treasures can be found in museums that line the National Mall, including the National Gallery of Art, the National Air and Space Museum, and the National Archives—which house the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The iconic Washington Monument, the world's tallest obelisk, stands as its centerpiece.
The National Mall also sets the scene for Inauguration Day. While President Jefferson was first to be inaugurated in Washington D.C., Ronald Reagan became the first president to take the oath of office on the West Terrace of the U.S. Capitol that overlooks the National Mall. In 2009, 1.8 million people filled the Mall for President Obama's first inauguration—the largest event in Washington's history.
Serving as the nation's capital for more than 200 years, Washington is the central station for foreign dignitaries, royalty, and diverse local communities who give the city its multicultural character. The 57th Presidential Inauguration will attract people from across the country and all over the world to once again be a part of history.