By 1783, Alexander Macomb, father of Martha Dinsmore, had shifted the majority of his business to New York City (pop. 20,000), and it was there that he bought several lots on Broadway (current Wall Street District) for construction of what would be called one of the finest private buildings in the city. His need for cash prompted Macomb to lease his new house in 1790 to President George Washington and it would serve as the presidential mansion from February 1790 to late August.
