On April 16, 1789, as George Washington prepared to depart Alexandria for his presidential inauguration in New York City, a farewell reception was held at Wise’s Tavern. During the ceremony, Alexandria’s mayor, Dennis Ramsay, formally addressed Washington as “Mr. President”—the first recorded instance of this title being used. Ramsay, who played a role in establishing this lasting tradition, is buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery within Alexandria’s Wilkes Street Cemetery Complex.
