Uncovering the Story
I lived in New York City, a stone's throw from the home of the 21st President of the United States, Chester A. Arthur, for more than 20 years before I realized that the former president's residence, 123 Lexington Avenue, was now a spice-filled marketplace.
Chester Arthur is the only president ever to be inaugurated in his own home. Why is there no museum? Does anything mark the historic building?
My curiosity was piqued, so I decided to research the history of this president and the building he called home.
I spent more than two years searching the web for details about this president and the contradictions he embodied. Fortunately, everything I needed to know was online, if I searched hither and yon, and followed unexpected leads.
While little remains of Chester Arthur’s New York, the Calvary
Episcopal Church, built in 1848, located on the corner of East 21st Street and Park Avenue South in New York City, where Chester and Ellen Arthur were married, still stands. I made a site visit and was able to describe the dark, solemn chapel, common to the architecture of the era.
Thanks to my friend, Maryann Mackiewicz, who scoured the Records of Sales of the New York City Department of Finance, I am pleased to report that Ellen Arthur bought 123 Lexington Avenue in 1864, less than 20 years after married women were allowed to own property in New York State; the home’s purchase is usually attributed to her husband, Chester Arthur.
Please explore this website and download my free pdf. I hope you enjoy pealing away the layers and uncovering the story of the enigmatic Chester A. Arthur, and why his historic home is so unheralded.
Chester A. Arthur inaugurated President of the United States at 123 Lexington Avenue (Library of Congress)