Due to the confluence of COVID-19 and the extraordinary security circumstances in the nation’s capital this week, the 2021 presidential inauguration will be unlike any other. Regrettably (but understandably) there won’t be any tour groups on hand to witness the event. This also means that (as has so often been the case over the past year) I’m unable to stand in front of a group of interested tourists and point at stuff while telling stories from American history. Heartbreaking.

In my storytelling, I often use numbers. Guests are invariably interested in learning what year the British burned Washington (1814), how much Lincoln’s marble statue weighs (175 tons), and how many bathrooms are inside the White House (35). Since I’m prevented from walking & talking with a tour group around downtown DC this week, I figured this journal entry would be a good opportunity to play pretend. Without further adieu, I’d like to take you on an envisioned stroll around the city and break down the history of United States presidential inaugurations by-the-numbers.

Let’s start by heading to the east front of the US Capitol Building.

8,445

William Henry Harrison’s inauguration ceremony

That’s how many words were in President William Henry Harrison’s inaugural address - the longest ever. He wrote it himself (with a little help from Daniel Webster). Sensitive to criticism about his intellect (or lack thereof) on March 4th, 1841, Harrison stood here on the east front of capitol and bored everyone to tears for nearly two hours with a speech overburdened by ostentatious erudition. At that time the 68 year old Harrison was the oldest inaugurated president in history. It was a wet, wintry day and the aging Harrison famously refused to wear his hat, overcoat and gloves. A month later he was dead. For generations, most Americans assumed his demise was due to a case of pneumonia which sprung from the cold he presumably caught during the prolonged exposure of his inaugural ceremony. In actuality, Harrison’s premature passing was likely caused by enteric fever - an intestinal ailment caused by drinking polluted water. Whatever the case may be, at a mere 31 days, Harrison’s presidential tenure remains the shortest in history. It’s also an enduring reminder how different American history might have been if the White House kitchen had access to a Brita pitcher during the mid-1800s.

For our next stop, let’s head over the west front of the capitol building.

1.8 Million

Crowds on the National Mall in 2009 Inauguration Ceremony

That’s the number of people who came to DC to witness the first inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009. It remains the largest crowd in inaugural history - surpassing the mark of 1.2 million set by LBJ in 1965. The ceremony was held here on the west front of the capitol building. Whereas the ceremony was traditionally held on the capitol’s east front throughout much of the 19th & 20th century, increasing crowd size prompted planners to relocate the event to the west front beginning with President Reagan’s first inauguration in 1981. Why the change? The western face of the capitol building looks across the National Mall with over 2 miles of relatively open space between itself and the Lincoln Memorial - so there’s plenty of room for huge numbers to gather.

Now let’s take a walk over to Pennsylvania Avenue.

73 bands, 59 floats, 3 elephants, 1 Alaskan dog team, 1 turtle waving an American flag with its front legs.

That’s what you would have seen if you had watched President Eisenhower’s inaugural parade here on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1953. Ike’s parade is considered to be the largest in presidential history, and the tradition of following the inauguration with a presidential procession from the United States Capitol building down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House begins in 1801 with the inauguration of Thomas Jefferson.

The “Grand Arch” constructed for President Garfield’s inaugural parade

President James Garfield’s 1881 inaugural parade ranks among the more notable in the city’s history as Garfield would become the first president to enjoy the event from a specially constructed viewing stand placed outside the White House. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route was overhung with 39 ornately carved wooden arches - none more impressive than the ornate ‘Grand Arch’ which straddled the intersection of 15th & Pennsylvania.

In advance of President Nixon’s 1973 parade, the route was sprayed with bird repellent in order to ward off pigeons. Unfortunately, the chemical proved only too effective and Pennsylvania Avenue was littered with dead birds. This was not unlike Ulysses S. Grant’s 1873 inauguration when dozens of captive canaries froze to death in -15 degree weather before they could be released in celebration of the 18th president.

Finally, we’ll end our tour with a party as we head over to the building museum.

13

That’s the number of Presidential inaugural balls held inside the Great Hall of Washington, DC’s National Building Museum (formerly the pension building). Constructed of over 15 million red bricks (a world record), and known for its massive interior pillars, the National Building Museum has an impressive architectural history to go along with its past presidential parties. Since Grover Cleveland’s 1885 extravaganza (before the roof was even complete!), the museum has served as the city’s premier inaugural ball venue. No ball was grander than Benjamin Harrison’s 1889 soiree. Attended by approximately 12,000 people it cost $50,000 to stage - $1.2 million in today’s dollars.

Such numbers put to shame the first ever inaugural ball. Held in honor of James Madison’s ascension to the presidency in 1809, the original presidential bash was a comparatively modest affair. Madison’s 400 guests found themselves in a cramped space - Capitol Hill’s now defunct Long’s Hotel. The closer quarters caused some attendees to overheat. Luckily, windows were broken in order to allow cool air to flow inside. Afterwards, the ball would be remembered as a real smash.

Presidential Inaugurations: By the Numbers

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