WSPark History

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Taking A Stroll through History: A Look Back atthe Transformation of Washington Square Park

By Katie Essenfeld

Throughout the past centuries New York City has gone through

drastic changes. However, one area has remained as an epicenter of

culture, Washington Square Park. The park experienced many highs,

lows, and changes as well but it has continuously been an area for

excitement, arts, and a place for people to congregate.

-------------- 18 th Century -------------

The area of Washington Square Park is located in Greenwich

Village is surrounded by Waverly Place, 4 th Street, University Place, and

MacDougal Street. In the late 18 th century it was an open area used as a

burial ground. It served as an area for public hangings for criminals and

attracted large crowds to view the hangings. The public executions were

responsible for creating the tale of Hangman’s Elm tree, which is located

in the northwest corner of the park.

------------- 19 th Century -------------



In 1827 the area was converted to a public park. The streets

surrounding the park attracted people of high status and built many

eloquent houses resembling the Greek Revival architectural movement.

The aristocratic movement brought fences, flower beds, and decorated

gravel walkways to the park. Decades later, this group of people migrated

towards Fifth Avenue, closer to Central Park. Some distinguished visitors

of the park during the 18 th century included Winslow Homer, Walt

Whitman, John Dos Passos, and Edith Warton.

The first public demonstration of Samuel F.B. Morse’s telegraph

was performed in Washington Square Park in 1835. Morse was a New

York University professor at the time.

In 1 870 The Department of Public Parks was formed which took on

the renovation of Washington Square Park as one

of their first projects. By 1889 a wooden arch,

which would become one of the park’s major

icons, was erected to commemorate the centennial

of president George Washington’s inauguration.

Stanford White was the architect behind the arch

and modeled the structure from the Arc de Triomphe. To honor the

president for which the park was named, two statues of Washington were

mounted on the north side of the arch. The first statue is of Washington

as Commander in Chief and the other as Washington as president.

------------- 20 th Century -------------



On March 25, 1911 , a fire broke out on

top of a three story building killing 146

workers. This fire is known as the Triangle

Shirtwaist Fire and the building was located

directly east of Washington Square Park. The

building housed the Triangle Shirtwaist

Company, which manufactured women’s clothing. This fire became

highly controversial and notorious throughout the country because it

was an example of the horrible conditions that sweatshop workers were

working in. The building was falsely advertised as fire proof and was

cramped with flammable materials. There were also locked doors and

inadequate fire escapes making exit during an emergency nearly

impossible. Most of the victims were young Italian and Jewish women.

This fire sparked the growth of International Ladies Garment Workers

Union, which fought for better working conditions in sweatshops. In

1912, a march of 20,000 workers took place in the park to commemorate

those lost in the fire the year before.

At the end of World War II a new type of group came to claim the

park as their own. Folksingers began to congregate at the center of the

park. This movement began to cause tensions and conflicts between the

locals and the performers. In 1947 a law was created that required

permits before any public performances could take place in the park.

Musician Izzy Young and 500 other musicians gathered in the park to



protest this new law and sang without permits. This action brought the

New York Police Department Riot Squad to the park, which ended in

attacks on civilians and ten arrests. This marked the period of riot and

conflict in the park due to the territorial nature of the locals and the

freedom of the public.

During the 1960s, Washington Square Park went through a period

of peace and was generally community friendly. Up until 1964 when the

park was redesigned yet again, Fifth Avenue ran through Washington

Square. It was then closed to traffic due to complaints from Greenwich

Village residents. There was also a

movement to make the park more

recreational by adding bocce courts,

game tables, and playgrounds. It

became known as a spot for students,

chess players, performers, and both locals and tourist. After the peace

however, came another surge of defiance. By 1971 while America was

going through a period of protests and hippie culture, the park’s regulars

started to become a place for drug selling, alcoholics and exhibitionists.

This new congregation of people brought a new culture of performances

ranging from comics and fire-eaters to dancers and skaters.

------------- 21 st Century -------------



In 2007 the New York City Department

of Parks and Recreation began a $16 million

dollar project to renovate Washington Square

Park by realigning the central fountain with

the arch.

There has also been construction of the

park at the West 4 th Street entrance for many

years and was anticipated to be finished in Spring 2011. However,

scaffolding and building materials still scatters the park as construction

continues to be under way.

------------- Iconic Structures and Popular Culture ----------

Washington Square Park is filled with monuments and intricate

architecture that make the park famous. One of the eye-catching

monuments is of Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi who is famous for

crusading for a unified Italy. The structure was built in 1888 and by

1960 New York University students started a tradition involving the

statue. Every new student in the School of Finance would toss a penny at

the base of the monument at the beginning of the school year for good

luck. The monument was conserved in 1998 by the City Parks

Foundation Monuments Conservation program.

The Washington Square Methodist Church is also an important

aspect of the park. It is located on the West 4 th Street side of the park

and is a Romanesque Revival style of architecture. Gamaliel King who



was a somewhat unknown New York architect from the 19th century

created the marble church. The original congregation of the church was

established on Sullivan Street in 1842 but transitioned to the church as

the size of the congregation increased.

The central fountain in the middle of the park is a common spot for

people watching and relaxing. In the cooler weather many performances

take place in the empty fountain. During warmer weather the fountain is

a popular spot for children to wade in and a fun way to cool off from the

heat of the city. The fountain was added to the park in 1852 and was

replaced in 1872 .

The foliage and refreshing scenes of the park

has been the backdrop for many movies and

television shows. Movies such as Hair, When

Harry Met Sally, Kids, and I am Legend

feature the park.

Washington Square Park is also the backdrop for Henry James’s

novel, Washington Square .

------------- Timeline -------------

Washington Square Park has gone through an immense amount of

transformation since it’s time from a burial ground to a public park. Not

only has the park experienced a number of physical changes from

countless renovations and additions but also a cultural change. From



aristocratic socialites to artists and drug dealers, the park has

experienced a vast variety in its visitors. Through all of the

transformations Washington Square Park has remained one of New York

City’s most recognizable parks. It is a place for students, locals, and

tourists to decompose from a busy life in the city and is a place thriving

with culture and art. Whether a one-time visitor or a weekly local,

Washington Square Park and it’s infamous arch is a place to be

remembered.

1827 - Area converted to a public park1852 - First central fountain was added1889 - Park receives a wooden arch to commemorate centennial of George Washington’s inauguration1892 - Marble arch is built1911 - Triangle Shirtwaist Fire kills 146 workers in a building onWashington Square Park1947 - Izzy Young protests public performance permit by singing with500 artists without a permit1964 - Park is closed to traffic through 5 th avenue1971 - Drug dealers, alcoholics, and exhibitionists begin to take over thepark2007 - $16 million dollar renovation begins and is still underconstruction



Works Cited

Feirstein, Sanna. Naming New York- Manhattan Places and How They Got Their Names . New York and London: New York UP, 2001. 87. Print.

Folpe, Emily Klies. It Happened On Washington Square . London and Baltimore: JohnsHopkins UP, 2002. Print.

Kertesz, Andre. Washington Square . New York: Grossman, 1975. 2. Print.

"New York Architecture Images- Washington Square Arch." Nyc-architecture | NewYork Architecture- Historic and Contemporary . Web. 15 June 2011.<http://www.nyc-architecture.com/GV/GV046WashingtonSquareArch.htm>.

"One of New York City's Most Popular Parks." New York City Travel - Guide to NewYork City Travel on About.com . Web. 19 June 2011.<http://gonyc.about.com/od/photogalleries/ss/washington_squa_10.htm>.

Postal, Matthew A. New York City Landmarks- New York City Landmarks PreservationCommission . Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. 54. Print.

"The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and It's Legacy." The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and Its Legacy: Out of the Smoke and the Flame . Web. 17 June 2011.http://trianglefireconference.org/

"Washington Square Park." Wikipedia.com . 13 June 2011. Web. 15 June 2011.<Wikipedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Square_Park>

"Washington Square Park Highlights - Washington Square Park." New York City Department of Parks & Recreation . Web. 19 June 2011.http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/washingtonsquarepark/highlights/6537

"Washington Square Park News - Ready For Their Close-up: Parks Archival Images AndThe Oscars." New York City Department of Parks & Recreation . Web. 17 June 2011.<http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/washingtonsquarepark/dailyplant/22359>.

"Washington Square Park Highlights - Giuseppe Garibaldi Monument." New York City Department of Parks & Recreation . Web. 16 June 2011.<http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/washingtonsquarepark/highlights/8712>.

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