Washington Square Park (WSP) has a rich history. It’s a public park in New York City’s Greenwich Village, but it also serves as an important gathering place for students and faculty at New York University (NYU). To me, WSP is like a room where the neighborhood gathers to enjoy open space, people, and music in the city. My favorite performers include Colin Huggins (piano), Rasheed and the Jazz Collective, and Coyote and Crow,
The following is a brief overview of some key park moments:
- In the 1600s, freed African-born slaves were given plots for farming on land that is now part of the park. The British later took the land back.
- In 1838, Samuel Morse, who was a professor at what is now NYU, gave the first public demonstration of the telegraph, running a copper wire from his lab at 22 Washington Square around a tree in the square and back.
- In 1870, a plan was made to transform the land from an unattractive parade field to an urban park. The redesign was done by Ignaz Pilate, assisted by Montgomery Kellogg, who had worked closely with Frederick Law Olmsted in constructing Central Park. The fountain in the center of the park came from one of the southern entrances to Central Park at 59th Street.
- The Washington Arch, designed by Stanford White, is reminiscent of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It was commissioned following the construction of a similar temporary arch (Washington Centenary Arch) built to commemorate the centenary of George Washington’s inauguration at Federal Hall in the Wall Street district.
- In the mid 1930s, residents and activists fought off a plan by Robert Moses to construct a new road through the park.
- A 1970s renovation opened up the central area around the fountain to create a large sunken plaza flanked by shade trees. This important improvement now serves as a vibrant focal point for the park.
To learn more about the park’s history, visit the conservancy page and 6sqft.
