First Federal Hall History Awards

Five distinguished historians were bestowed with the first Federal Hall Award for History at our annual benefit dinner on September 28. The new award recognizes scholars who, through their work, have helped to preserve and bring awareness to Federal Hall’s historic significance.

This year’s recipients included the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian/author Mike Wallace. Wallace’s co-authored opus, Gotham: a History of New York City to 1898, is the first authoritative history of New York City, including the days when old Federal Hall was capitol of the United States. His soon-to-be released solo sequel, Greater Gotham, builds on that history through 1919.

The other 2017 recipients of the award were Charlene B. Bickford, Kenneth R. Bowling, Helen E. Veit and William C. diGiacomantonio — historian/editors of the First Federal Congress Project at George Washington University. Their scholarship, through the recently completed 22-volume Documentary History of the First Federal Congress, greatly influences our plan for future programs at Federal Hall.