Chester Alan Arthur (October 5, 1829 – November 18, 1886) was the 21st President of the United States and a longtime resident of New York City's Flatiron District. His townhouse at 123 Lexington Avenue served as his primary residence from 1867 until his death, making him the only president sworn into office within the neighborhood.
At 2:15 AM on September 20, 1881, Arthur took the presidential oath in the parlor of his Flatiron District home at 123 Lexington Avenue, following the assassination of James Garfield. Today, a commemorative plaque marks the site, and his bronze statue stands in nearby Madison Square Park—a permanent reminder of the president who called this neighborhood home.
| Full name | Chester Alan Arthur |
| Born / Died | October 5, 1829 / November 18, 1886 |
| Profession | Lawyer, politician, 21st President of the United States |
| Active in Flatiron | c. 1867–1886 |
| Known for | 21st President of the United States, Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, Gilded Age political figure |
| Key Flatiron location | 123 Lexington Avenue (between East 28th and 29th Streets) — 1867–1886 — DEMOLISHED; commemorative plaque marks the site |
| Notable legacy | The only U.S. president ever sworn into office within the Flatiron District, Chester Arthur transformed American civil service and made his Lexington Avenue home a site of presidential history. |
Who Was Chester?
Chester Arthur was never supposed to become president. He spent his career as a New York machine politician—a loyal soldier in Senator Roscoe Conkling’s Republican organization—before an assassin’s bullet thrust him into the presidency and, improbably, into reformer status.
From Vermont to New York Power Broker
Born in Fairfield, Vermont in 1829, Arthur graduated from Union College and moved to New York City to practice law. He built a reputation defending civil rights cases, including the landmark 1854 case that desegregated New York streetcars. But ambition pulled him toward politics.
In 1871, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Arthur as Collector of the Port of New York—a position that controlled over 1,000 patronage jobs and collected roughly 75 percent of all U.S. customs revenue. The job made Arthur wealthy and powerful, though President Rutherford B. Hayes eventually removed him during an anti-corruption push.
The Gentleman Boss
Arthur stood six feet two inches tall, carried himself with theatrical elegance, and reportedly owned over 80 pairs of pants. He changed clothes multiple times daily and earned nicknames like “Elegant Arthur” and “The Gentleman Boss.” His Lexington Avenue home reflected this fastidiousness—when he became president, he refused to move into the White House for three months, finding its décor unacceptable.
He hired Louis Comfort Tiffany to redecorate 24 White House rooms and ordered 24 wagonloads of furniture sold at public auction. Even as president, Arthur maintained deep ties to the Flatiron District during the Gilded Age, conducting business and entertaining guests at his Lexington Avenue residence.
Chester Alan Arthur's Connection to the Flatiron District
Chester Arthur’s connection to the Flatiron District ran deeper than any other American president. For nineteen years, from 1867 until his death in 1886, he lived at 123 Lexington Avenue—a brownstone townhouse between East 28th and 29th Streets.
The Home That Made Presidential History
On September 20, 1881, at 2:15 AM, Chester Arthur stood in the parlor of his Lexington Avenue home and took the presidential oath of office. President James Garfield had died earlier that evening after a two-month battle with infections from an assassin’s bullet. New York Supreme Court Justice John R. Brady administered the oath, making 123 Lexington Avenue one of only a handful of locations outside Washington, D.C. where a president has ever been inaugurated.
Arthur continued using his Flatiron home throughout his presidency. He delayed moving into the White House for three months while Tiffany completed renovations, conducting some official business from Lexington Avenue during this period.
A Gilded Age Social Hub
Arthur’s social life centered on the Madison Square area. He frequented the Fifth Avenue Hotel at 200 Fifth Avenue (at 23rd Street)—the unofficial headquarters of the Republican Party in New York during this era, located along the Ladies’ Mile shopping corridor. Political deals, patronage negotiations, and party strategy sessions happened in its lobbies and dining rooms.
He dined regularly at Delmonico’s, the premier fine-dining establishment of Gilded Age Manhattan, whose locations near Madison Square Park served as the social hub for the city’s political and financial elite.
His Final Days in Flatiron
After leaving the presidency in 1885, Arthur returned to his Lexington Avenue home. He had concealed a diagnosis of Bright’s disease—fatal kidney failure—throughout his presidency, and now his health deteriorated rapidly.
The day before he died, Arthur ordered nearly all of his personal and presidential papers burned—an estimated three large garbage cans full of documents destroyed in his Flatiron home, leaving historians with one of the smallest presidential archives in American history. On November 18, 1886, Chester Arthur died at 123 Lexington Avenue at age 57.
Legacy and Impact
Chester Arthur’s most lasting legacy was the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, which created a merit-based federal hiring system and ended the spoils system that had defined American politics for decades. The law was deeply ironic: Arthur had built his career on patronage, yet signed legislation that dismantled the very system that elevated him.
Arthur also modernized the U.S. Navy, authorizing construction of steel warships that would later prove decisive in the Spanish-American War. He fought against congressional pork-barrel spending and vetoed the Chinese Exclusion Act (though Congress overrode his veto).
Today, visitors to the Flatiron District can still connect with Arthur’s legacy. The bronze statue of Chester Arthur in Madison Square Park, sculpted by George Edwin Bissell and unveiled in 1899, stands near the eastern edge of the park—a short walk from where his home once stood. A commemorative plaque at 123 Lexington Avenue marks the site where he was sworn in and where he died.
The Flatiron District walking tour passes several sites from Arthur’s era, and Madison Square Park itself remains a window into the Gilded Age world he inhabited.
Chester Arthur was a machine politician who became a reformer, a patronage king who dismantled patronage, and a dandy who transformed the presidency from his Flatiron District parlor. The next time you walk through Madison Square Park, stop at his statue and consider: sometimes history's most unexpected characters become its most consequential.
Key Facts Worth Knowing
- 1881: At 2:15 AM on September 20, Chester Arthur was sworn in as the 21st President of the United States in the parlor of his home at 123 Lexington Avenue—one of only a handful of presidential inaugurations ever held outside Washington, D.C.
- 1871: As Collector of the Port of New York, Arthur controlled over 1,000 patronage jobs and collected approximately 75 percent of all U.S. customs revenue—making the New York Custom House more financially significant than any federal office outside the Treasury.
- Arthur reportedly owned over 80 pairs of pants and changed clothes multiple times daily, earning him the nickname "Elegant Arthur."
- 24 wagonloads of White House furniture were hauled away and sold at public auction on Arthur's orders before his Tiffany-designed redecoration began—he found the existing décor distasteful.
- November 17, 1886: The day before he died at his Lexington Avenue home, Arthur ordered nearly all of his presidential papers burned—an estimated three large garbage cans full—leaving historians with one of the smallest presidential archives in American history.
FIND THEIR LEGACY TODAY
- 123 Lexington Avenue (between East 28th and 29th Streets): Site of Arthur's townhouse where he was sworn in as President in 1881 and where he died in 1886. Original building demolished; commemorative plaque marks the site. Look for the bronze plaque on the current commercial building.
- Madison Square Park, Chester A. Arthur Statue (East 26th Street entrance): Bronze statue sculpted by George Edwin Bissell, unveiled in 1899. The statue stands on a granite pedestal near the park's eastern edge, within walking distance of where Arthur lived for 19 years.
- 200 Fifth Avenue (at 23rd Street): Site of the former Fifth Avenue Hotel, the unofficial Republican Party headquarters where Arthur conducted political business. Original hotel demolished in 1908; current building (formerly International Toy Center) dates to 1909.
- 205 Madison Avenue (at 35th Street): Church of the Incarnation, an active Episcopal church where Arthur's funeral service was held on November 22, 1886. The church still stands and is a designated New York City landmark. [VERIFY]
Explore More of Flatiron's History
→ Madison Square Park Monuments: The Stories New Yorkers Walk Past Every Day — The Chester Arthur statue in Madison Square Park is one of the monuments explored in this guide to the park's public art and memorials.
→ Flatiron District History: NYC's Landmark Evolution — Arthur lived in the Flatiron District during its transformation from residential neighborhood to commercial center during the Gilded Age.
→ Madison Square Park NYC: What to See, Eat & Do (2025) — Arthur's statue and legacy are part of the history visitors experience when exploring Madison Square Park today.
→ Flatiron District Walking Tour — Historic NYC Landmarks — A self-guided tour that passes sites from Arthur's era, including Madison Square Park and the surrounding Gilded Age architecture.
→ Step Into History at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace NYC (2025 Guide) — Two presidents with deep Flatiron connections: Arthur lived in the district for 19 years while Roosevelt was born nearby on East 20th Street.
In Plain English
Chester Alan Arthur (1829–1886) was the 21st President of the United States and a longtime Flatiron District resident. He lived at 123 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan from 1867 until his death in 1886. On September 20, 1881, Arthur was sworn in as president in the parlor of his Lexington Avenue home at 2:15 AM following the assassination of James Garfield—making the Flatiron District one of only a few locations outside Washington, D.C. where a president has taken the oath of office.
Frequently Asked Questions About Chester Alan Arthur
Q: Where was Chester Arthur sworn in as president?
A: Chester Arthur was sworn in as the 21st President at 2:15 AM on September 20, 1881, in the parlor of his home at 123 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan's Flatiron District. This followed the death of President James Garfield from wounds inflicted by an assassin two months earlier. The site makes the Flatiron District one of only a handful of locations outside Washington, D.C. where a presidential inauguration has occurred.
Q: What is Chester Arthur best known for?
A: Chester Arthur is best known for signing the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, which created a merit-based federal hiring system and ended the spoils system of political patronage. This was particularly significant because Arthur had previously built his career through patronage politics as Collector of the Port of New York. He is also remembered for modernizing the U.S. Navy and for his elegant personal style, which earned him nicknames like "Elegant Arthur."
Q: Where did Chester Arthur live in New York City?
A: Chester Arthur lived at 123 Lexington Avenue, between East 28th and 29th Streets in Manhattan's Flatiron District, from 1867 until his death in 1886. This brownstone townhouse served as his primary residence for nearly two decades. The original building has been demolished, but a commemorative plaque marks the site where he was both sworn in as president and where he died.
Q: How did Chester Arthur die?
A: Chester Arthur died on November 18, 1886, at his home at 123 Lexington Avenue in the Flatiron District. The cause was a cerebral hemorrhage related to Bright's disease (kidney failure), which he had concealed from the public throughout his presidency. He was 57 years old. The day before his death, he ordered nearly all of his personal and presidential papers burned.
Q: Is there a statue of Chester Arthur in New York City?
A: Yes, a bronze statue of Chester Arthur stands in Madison Square Park, near the East 26th Street entrance. Sculpted by George Edwin Bissell, the statue was unveiled in 1899. It is located within walking distance of 123 Lexington Avenue, where Arthur lived for 19 years. The statue depicts Arthur standing in formal attire, consistent with his reputation as one of the most elegantly dressed presidents in American history.