Hint: It morphed into something completely different.
Whatever Happened to President Chester A. Arthur's Historic Home?
Home of President Chester A. Arthur, 123 Lexington Avenue, New York City, undated.
Chester A. Arthur was a backstage operator who never held or sought elected office. Yet, in a deadlocked 1880 Republican presidential convention, he was nominated for vice president on a ticket headed by James A. Garfield. After just six months in office, President Garfield was felled by an assassin’s bullet.
In the middle of the night, September 20, 1881, Judge John R. Brady administered the oath of office to Chester A. Arthur in his home, 123 Lexington Avenue, New York City. Chester Arthur is the only president ever to take the oath of office in his own home.
Why is there no museum at 123 Lexington Avenue commemorating this historic event? Would the building’s history even be apparent to a casual passerby?
This is but one of the many enigmas I discovered about our 21st president of the United States....