In April 1789, George Washington traveled to Fredericksburg to visit his mother, Mary Ball Washington, for the last time before departing for New York City to assume the presidency. Gravely ill, she offered her son a farewell blessing, a poignant moment that marked both the close of her life and the dawn of his new role as leader of the nation.

Just months later, on August 25, 1789, Mary Ball Washington passed away, only four months after her son was inaugurated as the nation’s first President. His historic swearing-in took place on April 30, 1789, on the second-floor balcony of Federal Hall at 26 Wall Street. Today, a bronze statue marks that site, commemorating the beginnings of American government.