Editing Presidents House (section)

== After the Presidency ==

The President's House served as John Adams's residence from 1797 to 1800, though Adams—whose Massachusetts background made him uncomfortable with slavery—did not bring enslaved workers to Philadelphia. When the federal government relocated to Washington, D.C., in 1800, the house reverted to private use. It was subsequently modified, subdivided, and eventually demolished in 1832 to make way for commercial development. By the late 19th century, the precise location of the President's House had been forgotten, and the site became occupied by a public restroom facility that served visitors to Independence Hall. The history of slavery at the site was completely obscured.<ref name="lawler"/>

The rediscovery of the President's House site began in 2002 when historian Edward Lawler Jr. published research definitively locating the house and documenting its history, including the presence of enslaved workers. The timing coincided with planning for the new Liberty Bell Center, which was being constructed adjacent to the site. Activists, led by members of Philadelphia's African American community, demanded that the National Park Service acknowledge and interpret the history of slavery at the President's House rather than allowing it to be paved over for the new facility. The controversy generated national attention and forced a reconsideration of how Independence National Historical Park presented the founding era.<ref name="nash">{{cite book |last=Nash |first=Gary B. |title=The Liberty Bell |year=2010 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven}}</ref>