6. Chester A. Arthur Inaugural site: 123 Lexington Avenue
123 Lexington Avenue
At 12:25 AM on September 20, 1881, Chester A. Arthur was at his home at 123 Lexington Avenue when he received an official telegram. The telegram stated “It becomes our painful duty to inform you of the death of President Garfield and to advise you to take the oath of office as President of the United States without delay.” At 2:15 AM, John R. Brady, a New York Supreme Court justice, swore Arthur in as the twenty-first president of the United States, making him the second president to be sworn in in New York City. (Arthur was sworn in again two days later in Washington D.C.) Unlike almost all other inaugural sites, Arthur’s former residence is still privately owned and except for a street front store, closed to the public. Today, visitors can see a plaque on the building where Arthur was sworn in and later died, on November 18, 1886.
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