There are numerous locales named after George Washington, yet he never actually resided in any of them, including Washington, D.C., which was established as the nation’s capital soon after his presidency began. The Residence Act, passed on July 16, 1790, shifted the capital from Philadelphia to its new seat.

Washington remains the sole U.S. president who never occupied the White House. During his two terms, he called three residences home: the Samuel Osgood House and the Alexander Macomb House in New York City, and the President’s House in Philadelphia. While he helped determine the White House’s site, the first occupant was John Adams, who moved in after construction completed in 1800.

In March 1789, Washington wrote to James Madison about lodging in New York City for the upcoming inauguration, stating his intention to stay only in hired lodgings and to avoid taverns if possible. “If these cannot be had tolerably convenient … I would take rooms in the most decent Tavern …” The Osgood House became the chosen residence, rented by Congress at $845 annually. Later, Washington moved to the Macomb House, which offered a larger view of the Hudson, though he stayed there for merely six months in 1790 before relocating to the Presidential Mansion.

The Presidential Mansion appears to have been Washington’s favored office and home during his presidency, a three-story brick building he once described as “the best single house in the city.”