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John Adams Moves to Washington

When
1800
Where
Washington, D.C.; White House, Washington, D.C.; President's House, Philadelphia
Episodes
3

In 1800, President John Adams moved to the new national capital of Washington, D.C., leaving his Philadelphia residence. He made his first official visit to the new seat of government in early June 1800 and, on November 1, 1800, became the first president to occupy the White House, which was not yet fully completed.

Episodes

  1. May 1800 · President's House, PhiladelphiaLeaving the Philadelphia President's House

    Adams occupied the High Street mansion in Philadelphia from March 1797 to May 1800, vacating it as the capital moved.

  2. June 1800 · Washington, D.C.First official visit to the new capital

    Adams made his first official visit to the nation's new seat of government in early June 1800, while the President's Mansion was still under construction.

  3. November 1, 1800 · White House, Washington, D.C.Adams becomes first president to occupy the White House

    On Saturday, November 1, 1800, Adams became the first president to occupy the White House, which was not yet completed.

Background and detail

Background. Adams, the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801, had occupied the High Street mansion in Philadelphia from March 1797 to May 1800, while Philadelphia served as the national capital from 1790 through 1800. The White House, constructed between 1792 and 1800, was not yet completed when the capital moved to Washington.

Move to Washington. Adams made his first official visit to the nation's new seat of government in early June 1800. The White House became ready for occupancy circa November 1, 1800, when Adams became the first president to take residence there, though the building was not yet completed.

Aftermath. Adams lived in the White House only briefly. Anxious to rejoin Abigail, who had already left for Massachusetts, he departed in the predawn hours of March 4, 1801, and did not attend Jefferson's inauguration. Thomas Jefferson moved into the house in 1801, describing it as a "pleasant country residence."

People involved

  • John Adams · President of the United States; first president to occupy the White House
  • Thomas Jefferson · Adams's successor, who moved into the White House in 1801
  • Abigail Adams · Adams's wife, who had already left for Massachusetts before his departure

Sources

  1. John Adams Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27
  2. White House Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.