Federal Hall National Memorial
Also known as: U. S. Customs Building; Subtreasury Building
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Why it's listed
Federal Hall National Memorial occupies the corner of Wall and Nassau Streets in Manhattan. The present building was begun in 1834 and finished in 1842 as the U.S. Custom House, designed in part by John Frazee. It is fireproof, built of marble, limestone, granite, brick and iron, with six levels. Eight Doric columns at each end and a low pediment recall the Parthenon. In 1862 it became a branch of the Independent Treasury System and held 70 percent of federal revenues. The ground has deeper importance: the earlier Federal Hall stood here, remodelled in 1788 by Pierre L'Enfant as the first capitol under the Constitution. Washington was inaugurated there on April 30, 1789, and Congress created the main executive departments, the federal courts and the Bill of Rights. The Zenger trial and the Stamp Act Congress also took place in the older building. The site was designated a national historic site in 1939 and a national memorial in 1955.
Significance in brief: The site held the original Federal Hall, the first capitol under the Constitution, where Washington was inaugurated in 1789 and the Bill of Rights was adopted. The present building is also a fine example of Greek Revival architecture and later served as the most important of six federal subtreasuries.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 66000095, listed October 15, 1966. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Wall and Nassau Sts., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | October 15, 1966 |
| Reference number | 66000095 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | John Frazee (designed in part) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rated in good condition and occupied; used as a museum and government building. The exterior has changed little, though the interior has been altered many times. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Within district | Wall Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.70727, -74.01007 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 66000095.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q858689
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.