Wsp logo small.jpg

Donate to the Conservancy at 
www.washingtonsqpark.org/donate
Lou Giansante produced, wrote, and narrated this tour. 
His websites: www.lougiansante.org, www.writingad.org, and www.100daysinwsp.com.

Walk through Washington Square Park and meet the people in its history! 

You can listen from anywhere. But in the Park, GPS begins your tour stops. You can swipe through photos in many stops.

When a stop begins, click on the small image at the lower left to expand the player. 

Want a transcript? Click a button at the bottom. 


WSP cover image.jpg

Washington Square Park

GLOBAL

Supports the NYC Parks Department and works to make the park clean, safe, and beautiful.

Washington Square Park Conservancy

WSP_Logo.jpg

STOP 1. WELCOME AND GEORGE (AT NORTH SIDE OF ARCH)

THEME MUSIC
Welcome to Washington Square Park and this audio tour presented by the Washington Square Park Conservancy. It's a non-profit organization that works alongside New York City's Parks Department to keep the park clean, safe, and beautiful.

Washington Square is the heart of Greenwich Village, a green oasis in the concrete of the city. The story of the Park is about the people who built it, and tho who mseake it famous, from the formerly enslaved people that farmed this land before it became New York City, to folk musicians of the 1960s, to human rights protesters today. And it's about New Yorkers like me, who volunteer for the Conservancy, and like you, who come here to dig into its history. During the tour you'll hear about the people of the Park. And the first person I want you to meet gives the Park its name -- George Washington. He stands here, towering 16 feet above you in two statues. In the statue on the left, he's Commander in Chief during the Revolutionary War, wearing a tricornered hat, a full-length cloak, and his hands rest on the pommel of an unsheathed sword. Hermon MacNeil designed this sculpture. 

	MUSIC: HAIL COLUMBIA 

On the right, you see George as the nation's first president, wearing breeches, stockings, a vest, and a cutaway coat. The music you hear, Hail Columbia, was playing at Washington’s inauguration. This statue's designer was Alexander Stirling Calder, a name you might know because his son Alexander Calder is the American artist who invented mobiles. 

There are 16 stops on this tour. This is stop number 1. You can do the stops in chronological order, or mix it up any way you like. Stop number two is also right here. And it's about the Arch.

13 Washington Square North \|||// STOP 1. WELCOME AND GEORGE (AT NORTH SIDE OF ARCH)

THEME MUSIC
Welcome to Washington Square Park and this audio tour presented by the Washington Square Park Conservancy. It's a non-profit organization that works alongside New York City's Parks Department to keep the park clean, safe, and beautiful.

Washington Square is the heart of Greenwich Village, a green oasis in the concrete of the city. The story of the Park is about the people who built it, and tho who mseake it famous, from the formerly enslaved people that farmed this land before it became New York City, to folk musicians of the 1960s, to human rights protesters today. And it's about New Yorkers like me, who volunteer for the Conservancy, and like you, who come here to dig into its history. During the tour you'll hear about the people of the Park. And the first person I want you to meet gives the Park its name -- George Washington. He stands here, towering 16 feet above you in two statues. In the statue on the left, he's Commander in Chief during the Revolutionary War, wearing a tricornered hat, a full-length cloak, and his hands rest on the pommel of an unsheathed sword. Hermon MacNeil designed this sculpture. 

	MUSIC: HAIL COLUMBIA 

On the right, you see George as the nation's first president, wearing breeches, stockings, a vest, and a cutaway coat. The music you hear, Hail Columbia, was playing at Washington’s inauguration. This statue's designer was Alexander Stirling Calder, a name you might know because his son Alexander Calder is the American artist who invented mobiles. 

There are 16 stops on this tour. This is stop number 1. You can do the stops in chronological order, or mix it up any way you like. Stop number two is also right here. And it's about the Arch.

Welcome and George

Tour Item

English

STOP #1.mp3

parkbirdseye.jpg

Ann's shot.jpg

LS GEORGE GEN.JPG

LS GEORGE PRES.JPG

WSP_Logo_CMYK (for printing).jpg

STOP 2. THE ARCH AND THE PICCIRILLIS
Stop number two. The Arch, and the Piccirillis.
	THEME MUSIC...

This triumphal marble arch soars 77 feet above you and was the dream of William Rhinelander Stewart, a wealthy Villager who lived across the street on Washington Square North. This is actually the second Washington Square Arch. The first was built of wood and plaster in 1889, as part of a Centennial celebration of Washington's inauguration. Stewart helped raise the money for that Arch and he hired the architect Stanford White to design it. By the way, White also designed the Judson Memorial Church which you’ll see later on the south side of the Park. People liked the wooden Arch so much that they commissioned White to design a permanent one in Tuckahoe marble, and so this one was built in1892. 

	SFX: HAMMERS CHISELING STONE

If you walk around the Arch you'll see that it's covered with sculptural details: eagles, crossed swords, spandrels of angels, draped fabric, and garlands of branches and leaves. Who carved them all? 
The six Piccirilli brothers, trained by their master carver father. They immigrated from Italy to New York City in 1888 and soon became the carvers of choice for American sculptors. The Piccirillis also carved the lions in front of the New York Public Library on 42nd Street, and Abraham Lincoln seated in his Memorial in Washington. 

In your next stop you’ll hear a story that most visitors to the park do not know. It's about people who invaded the Arch. To hear it, walk to the left of the arch and stand where you see a flagpole with a white, round stone base. It commemorates soldiers killed in World War One.

12 Washington Square North \|||// STOP 2. THE ARCH AND THE PICCIRILLIS
Stop number two. The Arch, and the Piccirillis.
	THEME MUSIC...

This triumphal marble arch soars 77 feet above you and was the dream of William Rhinelander Stewart, a wealthy Villager who lived across the street on Washington Square North. This is actually the second Washington Square Arch. The first was built of wood and plaster in 1889, as part of a Centennial celebration of Washington's inauguration. Stewart helped raise the money for that Arch and he hired the architect Stanford White to design it. By the way, White also designed the Judson Memorial Church which you’ll see later on the south side of the Park. People liked the wooden Arch so much that they commissioned White to design a permanent one in Tuckahoe marble, and so this one was built in1892. 

	SFX: HAMMERS CHISELING STONE

If you walk around the Arch you'll see that it's covered with sculptural details: eagles, crossed swords, spandrels of angels, draped fabric, and garlands of branches and leaves. Who carved them all? 
The six Piccirilli brothers, trained by their master carver father. They immigrated from Italy to New York City in 1888 and soon became the carvers of choice for American sculptors. The Piccirillis also carved the lions in front of the New York Public Library on 42nd Street, and Abraham Lincoln seated in his Memorial in Washington. 

In your next stop you’ll hear a story that most visitors to the park do not know. It's about people who invaded the Arch. To hear it, walk to the left of the arch and stand where you see a flagpole with a white, round stone base. It commemorates soldiers killed in World War One.

LS ARCH 2.JPG

The Arch & The Piccirillis

STOP #2.mp3

IMG_1726.JPG

IMG_2798.JPG

spandrel.JPG

LS ARCH TOP.JPG

FLAGPOLE.JPG

STOP 3. THE REBELLION ON THE ARCH
Stop number three. The Rebellion on the Arch.
	THEME MUSIC…

Imagine its January 1917 and there are red balloons dangling from the top of the Arch. New Yorkers are baffled. It turned out the balloons were part of a mock revolution by a poet, three actors, and two artists who strongly opposed the United States getting into World War I. The most famous were the American painter John Sloan and the French artist Marcel DuChamp. 

	SFX: CHILLY WIND/FOOTSTEPS UP STAIRS

So, on a chilly January night the six bohemian revolutionaries slipped through an unlocked door in the arch. They climbed a stone spiral staircase to the roof. We know they carried with them hot water bottles for warmth, food to cook over a small fire, candles, and thermos bottles of coffee and tea. They probably also had some wine. 

	SFX: CAP PISTOL SHOTS

They fired off cap pistols and blew up a string of red balloons. Then artist and poet Gertrude Drick read aloud a proclamation declaring Washington Square to be a free and independent state. She finished by announcing the quote (DISTANT VOICE) “Free and Independent Republic of Washington Square.” 
Well, unfortunately for them, three months later the US did enter the war in Europe.  And three months after that, instead of balloons the arch was decorated with American flags in support of the war.  John Sloan did an etching about that night titled Arch Conspirators. You can swipe on your screen to see it.
From that time until today, Washington Square has attracted artists and social activists who believe in transforming society. Sloan called Greenwich Village a quote “liberal radical small town.” And it still is.

For your next stop, walk up closer to the fountain, or maybe sit on one of the black marble benches around it. 



12 Washington Square North \|||// STOP 3. THE REBELLION ON THE ARCH
Stop number three. The Rebellion on the Arch.
	THEME MUSIC…

Imagine its January 1917 and there are red balloons dangling from the top of the Arch. New Yorkers are baffled. It turned out the balloons were part of a mock revolution by a poet, three actors, and two artists who strongly opposed the United States getting into World War I. The most famous were the American painter John Sloan and the French artist Marcel DuChamp. 

	SFX: CHILLY WIND/FOOTSTEPS UP STAIRS

So, on a chilly January night the six bohemian revolutionaries slipped through an unlocked door in the arch. They climbed a stone spiral staircase to the roof. We know they carried with them hot water bottles for warmth, food to cook over a small fire, candles, and thermos bottles of coffee and tea. They probably also had some wine. 

	SFX: CAP PISTOL SHOTS

They fired off cap pistols and blew up a string of red balloons. Then artist and poet Gertrude Drick read aloud a proclamation declaring Washington Square to be a free and independent state. She finished by announcing the quote (DISTANT VOICE) “Free and Independent Republic of Washington Square.” 
Well, unfortunately for them, three months later the US did enter the war in Europe.  And three months after that, instead of balloons the arch was decorated with American flags in support of the war.  John Sloan did an etching about that night titled Arch Conspirators. You can swipe on your screen to see it.
From that time until today, Washington Square has attracted artists and social activists who believe in transforming society. Sloan called Greenwich Village a quote “liberal radical small town.” And it still is.

For your next stop, walk up closer to the fountain, or maybe sit on one of the black marble benches around it. 



IMG_3711.JPG

The Rebellion on the Arch

STOP #3.mp3

archinside.JPG

IMG_1885.JPG

ARCH CONSPIRATORS.jpeg

STOP 4. THE FOUNTAIN
Stop number four. The Fountain.
	THEME MUSIC…

If the fountain is on and it's too loud, walk away a bit so you can hear me better.
This gray stone structure is not the Park’s original fountain. That was built in 1852 and had a basin around it a hundred feet in diameter. This basin is about seventy-five feet across. Twenty years later, in 1872,  the Park got a new fountain. And that was thanks to Boss Tweed, a name in New York history you may know. 

	MUSIC: “SINCE I JOINED TAMMANY HALL”
	
Boss Tweed is famous for two things: immense political power, and immense graft and corruption. But he also did good things as head of New York’s first Department of Public Parks, including redesigning Washington Square. Being thrifty, Tweed did not install a new fountain. Instead he took apart a fountain in Central Park near 59th Street and rebuilt it right here. 
The refurbished fountain served the Park well from 1872 until the 1930s when they had to turn it off to fix the leaky basin. Workers repaired it and added four steps down into the basin so children could splash in the 16-inch-deep water. But today, there's a Park rule: no one in the basin please.
In the early 2000s the Park got a major makeover. They not only rebuit the fountain, they also moved it 23 feet to the east so that it lined up exactly with the arch and Fifth Avenue. 

Ok, time to move on. With your back to the Arch, go left on a path to the east until you reach an open plaza boasting a statue of a man on a tall pedestal. You can’t miss him. He’s about to draw a sword



Washington Square Village \|||// STOP 4. THE FOUNTAIN
Stop number four. The Fountain.
	THEME MUSIC…

If the fountain is on and it's too loud, walk away a bit so you can hear me better.
This gray stone structure is not the Park’s original fountain. That was built in 1852 and had a basin around it a hundred feet in diameter. This basin is about seventy-five feet across. Twenty years later, in 1872,  the Park got a new fountain. And that was thanks to Boss Tweed, a name in New York history you may know. 

	MUSIC: “SINCE I JOINED TAMMANY HALL”
	
Boss Tweed is famous for two things: immense political power, and immense graft and corruption. But he also did good things as head of New York’s first Department of Public Parks, including redesigning Washington Square. Being thrifty, Tweed did not install a new fountain. Instead he took apart a fountain in Central Park near 59th Street and rebuilt it right here. 
The refurbished fountain served the Park well from 1872 until the 1930s when they had to turn it off to fix the leaky basin. Workers repaired it and added four steps down into the basin so children could splash in the 16-inch-deep water. But today, there's a Park rule: no one in the basin please.
In the early 2000s the Park got a major makeover. They not only rebuit the fountain, they also moved it 23 feet to the east so that it lined up exactly with the arch and Fifth Avenue. 

Ok, time to move on. With your back to the Arch, go left on a path to the east until you reach an open plaza boasting a statue of a man on a tall pedestal. You can’t miss him. He’s about to draw a sword



wspfountain long.jpg

The Fountain

STOP #4.mp3

IMG_1804.JPG

LS FOUNTAIN ARCH.JPG

IMG_1049.JPG

STOP 5. THE FIRST STATUE: GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI
Stop number five. The First Statue, Giuseppe Garibaldi.
	THEME MUSIC...

The bearded man in bronze is the Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi. He stands ten feet tall on an eleven-foot pedestal. I heard a story that around 1900, an Italian immigrant would march into the Park every morning, stand at attention, and proclaim loudly: [DISTANT VOICE “Io ti saluto!”] Meaning I salute you. And he would salute, every morning. That’s how strongly many Italians felt about Garibaldi, even 20 years after his death.

	MUSIC: ITALIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM 

Garibaldi helped unify warring factions into the country we know as Italy.  The battles went on for over thirty years, and sometimes Garibaldi had to escape or be killed. Once he escaped to New York and lived on Staten Island for two years, working as a candle maker. But he returned to Italy to lead the final battle for unification in 1860. He was so respected as a general that Abraham Lincoln offered him the command of a Union Army.  He said no.
So, why an Italian general in Washington Square? Immigration. From the 1880s on, hundreds of thousands of Italians arrived in New York and many settled in neighborhoods just south of Washington Square. So when Garibaldi died they raised money for the statue. and they commissioned a sculptor who had been a soldier under the general. 

	SFX: CROWD APPLAUDING

Garibaldi was the first sculpture placed in Washington Square Park. Thousands of people gathered for its unveiling in 1888, mostly Italians, but also the mayor of New York who accepted the statue as a gift to the city.

Now keep walking on the path to the northeast corner entrance to the Park. You will pass a children’s playground on your left  At the entrance step out of the Park onto the sidewalk at your left and I’ll meet you there. 


8 Washington Square North \|||// STOP 5. THE FIRST STATUE: GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI
Stop number five. The First Statue, Giuseppe Garibaldi.
	THEME MUSIC...

The bearded man in bronze is the Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi. He stands ten feet tall on an eleven-foot pedestal. I heard a story that around 1900, an Italian immigrant would march into the Park every morning, stand at attention, and proclaim loudly: [DISTANT VOICE “Io ti saluto!”] Meaning I salute you. And he would salute, every morning. That’s how strongly many Italians felt about Garibaldi, even 20 years after his death.

	MUSIC: ITALIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM 

Garibaldi helped unify warring factions into the country we know as Italy.  The battles went on for over thirty years, and sometimes Garibaldi had to escape or be killed. Once he escaped to New York and lived on Staten Island for two years, working as a candle maker. But he returned to Italy to lead the final battle for unification in 1860. He was so respected as a general that Abraham Lincoln offered him the command of a Union Army.  He said no.
So, why an Italian general in Washington Square? Immigration. From the 1880s on, hundreds of thousands of Italians arrived in New York and many settled in neighborhoods just south of Washington Square. So when Garibaldi died they raised money for the statue. and they commissioned a sculptor who had been a soldier under the general. 

	SFX: CROWD APPLAUDING

Garibaldi was the first sculpture placed in Washington Square Park. Thousands of people gathered for its unveiling in 1888, mostly Italians, but also the mayor of New York who accepted the statue as a gift to the city.

Now keep walking on the path to the northeast corner entrance to the Park. You will pass a children’s playground on your left  At the entrance step out of the Park onto the sidewalk at your left and I’ll meet you there.

LS GARI.JPG

The First Statue: Giuseppe Garibaldi

STOP #5.mp3

CU GARI.jpeg

CU GARI ENGRAV 2.JPG

STOP 6. THE ROW
Stop number six. The Row.
	MUSIC: CLASSICAL MUSIC BY MASTER MUSIC

You’re standing on Washington Square North, and across the street is a beautiful row of red brick buildings. In fact, that’s what they are called -- The Row. Some of New York's oldest and wealthiest families lived here. They were built in 1832 in the Greek Revival style on what was farmland. So why were these homes built here?  The answer is connected to the history of the Park.  

After the American Revolution, the city bought some of the Park land for a potter’s field, a public cemetery for the poor and especially for victims of yellow fever.  So would anyone want to live near a cemetery?  Probably not. But then the city turned the land into the Washington Military Parade Ground, a field for militias to drill and train. The Parade Ground gave the area status and raised property values. And that's why wealthy New Yorkers began to build the Row. They spared no expense. See the white marble steps, white marble carved balustrades or handrails, white Ionic columns at the doorways, and white marble above the windows. It all makes a dramatic contrast to the red brick walls. Also note the black wrought iron railing that runs the length of the block in front of the houses.
By the 1900s these mansions were divided up into apartments, and eventually New York University purchased the entire block for offices. 

There’s a long list of the wealthy and famous who lived in The Row. Here’s one name: Edward Hopper, the American painter. He lived and had his studio on the top floor of number 3 from 1913 until his death in 1966. Number three is the building without white columns at the door.

Now continue walking west on this street, past the Arch to hear about the next block on this street.

1 University Place \|||// STOP 6. THE ROW
Stop number six. The Row.
	MUSIC: CLASSICAL MUSIC BY MASTER MUSIC

You’re standing on Washington Square North, and across the street is a beautiful row of red brick buildings. In fact, that’s what they are called -- The Row. Some of New York's oldest and wealthiest families lived here. They were built in 1832 in the Greek Revival style on what was farmland. So why were these homes built here?  The answer is connected to the history of the Park.  

After the American Revolution, the city bought some of the Park land for a potter’s field, a public cemetery for the poor and especially for victims of yellow fever.  So would anyone want to live near a cemetery?  Probably not. But then the city turned the land into the Washington Military Parade Ground, a field for militias to drill and train. The Parade Ground gave the area status and raised property values. And that's why wealthy New Yorkers began to build the Row. They spared no expense. See the white marble steps, white marble carved balustrades or handrails, white Ionic columns at the doorways, and white marble above the windows. It all makes a dramatic contrast to the red brick walls. Also note the black wrought iron railing that runs the length of the block in front of the houses.
By the 1900s these mansions were divided up into apartments, and eventually New York University purchased the entire block for offices. 

There’s a long list of the wealthy and famous who lived in The Row. Here’s one name: Edward Hopper, the American painter. He lived and had his studio on the top floor of number 3 from 1913 until his death in 1966. Number three is the building without white columns at the door.

Now continue walking west on this street, past the Arch to hear about the next block on this street.

LS ROW 2.JPG

The Row

STOP #6.mp3

LS DOOR 1.JPG

20231120_144245 2.jpg

STOP 7. THE OTHER ROW
Stop number seven. The Other Row.
	MUSIC: CLASSICAL SOLO CELLO - JAE C MUSIC

This row of buildings west of Fifth Avenue once looked like the Row we just saw. Part of it still does, but some of the buildings are gone, even though in the mid 1800s they were filled with super wealthy, high society New Yorkers. We know about their lives from the novels of Edith Wharton, especially The Age of Innocence, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1920. She knew high society well, and she wrote about Washington Square and its surroundings as it was in the 1870s. Her great grandmother lived on this block. 
But through the years, this row of buildings could not keep its architectural cohesion like the other Row. 

William Rhinelander Stewart lived on this block. Remember, he had the original idea for the Arch across the street. But his house was torn down, along with others, to build this modern building at the corner of Fifth Avenue. At street level it looks like a free-standing brick building. But it’s actually part of number 2 Fifth Avenue, the 22-floor white co-op building that rises behind it. The builder actually wanted his big building to sit right on the edge of the Park. But the Greenwich Village community rose up and forced him to compromise.  So, he built this low, five-story structure with red brick to front on the Park and help blend in with the row of older buildings. 

Now keep walking on this block to the corner and step inside the Park to your left. You will see a circle of long black tables.

14 Washington Square North \|||// STOP 7. THE OTHER ROW
Stop number seven. The Other Row.
	MUSIC: CLASSICAL SOLO CELLO - JAE C MUSIC

This row of buildings west of Fifth Avenue once looked like the Row we just saw. Part of it still does, but some of the buildings are gone, even though in the mid 1800s they were filled with super wealthy, high society New Yorkers. We know about their lives from the novels of Edith Wharton, especially The Age of Innocence, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1920. She knew high society well, and she wrote about Washington Square and its surroundings as it was in the 1870s. Her great grandmother lived on this block. 
But through the years, this row of buildings could not keep its architectural cohesion like the other Row. 

William Rhinelander Stewart lived on this block. Remember, he had the original idea for the Arch across the street. But his house was torn down, along with others, to build this modern building at the corner of Fifth Avenue. At street level it looks like a free-standing brick building. But it’s actually part of number 2 Fifth Avenue, the 22-floor white co-op building that rises behind it. The builder actually wanted his big building to sit right on the edge of the Park. But the Greenwich Village community rose up and forced him to compromise.  So, he built this low, five-story structure with red brick to front on the Park and help blend in with the row of older buildings. 

Now keep walking on this block to the corner and step inside the Park to your left. You will see a circle of long black tables.

IMG_3669.JPG

The Other Row

STOP #7.mp3

IMG_1658.JPG

LS 2 FIFTH 2.JPG

STOP 8. THE ENGLISH ELM
Stop number eight. The English Elm
	THEME MUSIC…

Inside this entrance to the Park you enter a circle of long black rectangular tables. Today people mostly play cards here, though they used to play board games too. The Park Conservancy also holds art activities for kids and adults at these tables.

But to the right of the tables is the big attraction here. The Hangman’s Elm. Or was it really for hanging? It's an English Elm 135 feet tall. And it’s so big around that it would take three of me holding hands to surround it. It’s over 300 years old, so it’s older than the nation itself, and is possibly the oldest tree in Manhattan. A myth says that people were hanged from it, but there’s no record of that. It is a fact that the city did build a gallows approximately where the fountain is today. The last hanging there was in 1819,  a 19 year old African American named Rose Butler. There's a drawing her in your app. Rose was hanged for arson, for setting fire to the house where she worked as an enslaved domestic worker. In the next stop you'll hear more about the history of enslaved people who lived in this area.

Before we go to your next stop, here's a little challenge: guess how many trees there are in the Park. I'll give you three choices: 265? 365? or 565? The answer is ... 365, and they are all on just nine and three quarters acres of land.

To find your next stop, keep walking on the path parallel to the west edge of the Park. Stop when you reach the path that comes in on your left. Then turn and take a look into the heart of the Park. I’ll meet you there.




70 Washington Square North \|||// STOP 8. THE ENGLISH ELM
Stop number eight. The English Elm
	THEME MUSIC…

Inside this entrance to the Park you enter a circle of long black rectangular tables. Today people mostly play cards here, though they used to play board games too. The Park Conservancy also holds art activities for kids and adults at these tables.

But to the right of the tables is the big attraction here. The Hangman’s Elm. Or was it really for hanging? It's an English Elm 135 feet tall. And it’s so big around that it would take three of me holding hands to surround it. It’s over 300 years old, so it’s older than the nation itself, and is possibly the oldest tree in Manhattan. A myth says that people were hanged from it, but there’s no record of that. It is a fact that the city did build a gallows approximately where the fountain is today. The last hanging there was in 1819,  a 19 year old African American named Rose Butler. There's a drawing her in your app. Rose was hanged for arson, for setting fire to the house where she worked as an enslaved domestic worker. In the next stop you'll hear more about the history of enslaved people who lived in this area.

Before we go to your next stop, here's a little challenge: guess how many trees there are in the Park. I'll give you three choices: 265? 365? or 565? The answer is ... 365, and they are all on just nine and three quarters acres of land.

To find your next stop, keep walking on the path parallel to the west edge of the Park. Stop when you reach the path that comes in on your left. Then turn and take a look into the heart of the Park. I’ll meet you there.

LS BLACK TABLES.JPG

The English Elm

STOP #8.mp3

ELM LSS.jpg

rosebutler.jpg

IMG_1615.JPG

STOP 9. A QUICK HISTORY LESSON
Stop number nine. A Quick History Lesson
	SFX: THEME MUSIC….

Enjoy this view of the Park while I give you five facts about what was on this land, and what was under it. If you'd like to sit on a nearby bench, be my guest.

	SFX: BABBLING BROOK

Number one. Minetta Creek may be flowing under your feet. The Creek ran right through this land. Over time it was more of a nuisance than a source of fish and drinking water, so in the mid 1800s the city tried to fill it in. But through the years creek water has often shown up in construction sites and building basements.   

	MUSIC:  LENAPE FLUTE -- WOODLAND JOURNEY

Number two. The name Minetta means Devil’s Water in the language of the Lenape tribe of American Indians. Lenape means the real people in their language. Imagine this land as a hunting ground for the Lenape people and later as a place they grew tobacco.

	MUSIC:  BYRD FANTASIA -- SOUND PHENOMENON

Number three. The Dutch showed up in the early 1600s. They traded with the Lenape, but it's a myth that the Lenape sold them Manhattan for twenty-four dollars in trinkets. The Dutch ruled this land as farms and pastures. 
Number four. In the 1640s the Dutch freed some enslaved African-born workers and gave them plots of land to farm. But to stay free, every year they had to pay the the Dutch in grains and livestock, and though they were free, their children were not. The area close to the Park became known as the “Land of the Blacks.” After the Dutch, the English took over Manhattan and the free black farmers lost their land. It became part of an English estate. Until...

	SFX: SNARE DRUM
Number five. Until the American Revolution. After the Revolution, the land first became a cemetery to bury the poor and victims of yellow fever epidemics. Then it became a field for volunteer militias to drill. 

For your next stop, walk straight on the path into the heart of the Park until you come to an open plaza with a bust of a man on a white stone pedestal.

32 Washington Place \|||// STOP 9. A QUICK HISTORY LESSON
Stop number nine. A Quick History Lesson
	SFX: THEME MUSIC….

Enjoy this view of the Park while I give you five facts about what was on this land, and what was under it. If you'd like to sit on a nearby bench, be my guest.

	SFX: BABBLING BROOK

Number one. Minetta Creek may be flowing under your feet. The Creek ran right through this land. Over time it was more of a nuisance than a source of fish and drinking water, so in the mid 1800s the city tried to fill it in. But through the years creek water has often shown up in construction sites and building basements.   

	MUSIC:  LENAPE FLUTE -- WOODLAND JOURNEY

Number two. The name Minetta means Devil’s Water in the language of the Lenape tribe of American Indians. Lenape means the real people in their language. Imagine this land as a hunting ground for the Lenape people and later as a place they grew tobacco.

	MUSIC:  BYRD FANTASIA -- SOUND PHENOMENON

Number three. The Dutch showed up in the early 1600s. They traded with the Lenape, but it's a myth that the Lenape sold them Manhattan for twenty-four dollars in trinkets. The Dutch ruled this land as farms and pastures. 
Number four. In the 1640s the Dutch freed some enslaved African-born workers and gave them plots of land to farm. But to stay free, every year they had to pay the the Dutch in grains and livestock, and though they were free, their children were not. The area close to the Park became known as the “Land of the Blacks.” After the Dutch, the English took over Manhattan and the free black farmers lost their land. It became part of an English estate. Until...

	SFX: SNARE DRUM
Number five. Until the American Revolution. After the Revolution, the land first became a cemetery to bury the poor and victims of yellow fever epidemics. Then it became a field for volunteer militias to drill. 

For your next stop, walk straight on the path into the heart of the Park until you come to an open plaza with a bust of a man on a white stone pedestal.

IMG_2921.JPG

A Quick History Lesson

STOP #9.mp3

LS PARK 1.JPG

LS PARK 2.JPG

IMG_1708.jpeg

STOP 10. THE SECOND STATUE: ALEXANDER HOLLEY
Stop number 10. The Second Statue: Alexander Holley
	THEME MUSIC…

He’s not a famous artist. Or a famous general like Garibaldi. But Alexander Lyman Holley is in the Park because he’s the father of modern steel manufacturing in the United States.  He sits prominently atop a nine-foot-tall white limestone pedestal. His head and shoulders bronze bust is a tribute to the engineers of America, and in fact the Institute of Mining Engineers commissioned the bust from artist John Quincy Adams Ward.
 
	SFX:  STEEL MILL AMBIENCE

In the 1860s, Holley was touring England and saw the Bessemer method of manufacturing steel. He bought the rights to the method and adapted it to American manufacturing. He built the first important steel plant in the US and laid the foundations for the modern steel industry in America and the country’s industrial supremacy.  You could say he made industrial history. His bust was unveiled in 1889, only a year after Garibaldi’s and it nicely complements the statue of the Italian general.

Now turn around and walk on a diagonal path out of this plaza back toward the southwest corner of the Park. You’ll come to another circle of tables where people are playing chess. You may have seen these tables in the movies. 

 Washington Square North \|||// STOP 10. THE SECOND STATUE: ALEXANDER HOLLEY
Stop number 10. The Second Statue: Alexander Holley
	THEME MUSIC…

He’s not a famous artist. Or a famous general like Garibaldi. But Alexander Lyman Holley is in the Park because he’s the father of modern steel manufacturing in the United States.  He sits prominently atop a nine-foot-tall white limestone pedestal. His head and shoulders bronze bust is a tribute to the engineers of America, and in fact the Institute of Mining Engineers commissioned the bust from artist John Quincy Adams Ward.
 
	SFX:  STEEL MILL AMBIENCE

In the 1860s, Holley was touring England and saw the Bessemer method of manufacturing steel. He bought the rights to the method and adapted it to American manufacturing. He built the first important steel plant in the US and laid the foundations for the modern steel industry in America and the country’s industrial supremacy.  You could say he made industrial history. His bust was unveiled in 1889, only a year after Garibaldi’s and it nicely complements the statue of the Italian general.

Now turn around and walk on a diagonal path out of this plaza back toward the southwest corner of the Park. You’ll come to another circle of tables where people are playing chess. You may have seen these tables in the movies.

LS HOLLY 2.JPG

The Second Statue: Alexander Holley

STOP #10.mp3

CU HOLLY 4.JPG

CU HOLLY ENGRAV 2.JPG

STOP 11. THE CHESS PLAZA
Stop number eleven. The Chess Plaza
	THEME MUSIC…
Welcome to the Chess Plaza. After the Arch and the fountain, this circle of concrete tables may be the most famous area in the Park. The tables are embedded with granite black and white chess boards and the seats are usually filled with chess players, in good weather and bad. Locals and tourists come to play for fun, but there are regulars here who play to make a living. So, if you hear someone sitting at a table call, “Hey wanna play a match?” they will likely ask you for a small fee or maybe you can offer to play on a bet. These players also love to teach people how to play, for a fee of course.  
Famous players including chess grandmasters have occasionally stopped by to play, including American grandmaster Bobby Fischer. He says he got hooked on chess as a kid when he came to the Park and watched the players. The movie Searching for Bobby Fischer shot scenes at these tables. The fllm Fresh also shot scenes here, and more recently the Netflix series Maniac shot here with Emma Stone. 
Now leave the tables and walk on the path along the south side of the Park.
As you walk, on your left you will pass by green mounds covered with artificial turf where kids can play. Eventually you will arrive at a Park entrance on your right. Walk to the far side of the entrance to where you see a bed of flowers and plants behind a low black fence.




Washington Square West \|||// STOP 11. THE CHESS PLAZA
Stop number eleven. The Chess Plaza
	THEME MUSIC…
Welcome to the Chess Plaza. After the Arch and the fountain, this circle of concrete tables may be the most famous area in the Park. The tables are embedded with granite black and white chess boards and the seats are usually filled with chess players, in good weather and bad. Locals and tourists come to play for fun, but there are regulars here who play to make a living. So, if you hear someone sitting at a table call, “Hey wanna play a match?” they will likely ask you for a small fee or maybe you can offer to play on a bet. These players also love to teach people how to play, for a fee of course.  
Famous players including chess grandmasters have occasionally stopped by to play, including American grandmaster Bobby Fischer. He says he got hooked on chess as a kid when he came to the Park and watched the players. The movie Searching for Bobby Fischer shot scenes at these tables. The fllm Fresh also shot scenes here, and more recently the Netflix series Maniac shot here with Emma Stone. 
Now leave the tables and walk on the path along the south side of the Park.
As you walk, on your left you will pass by green mounds covered with artificial turf where kids can play. Eventually you will arrive at a Park entrance on your right. Walk to the far side of the entrance to where you see a bed of flowers and plants behind a low black fence.




IMG_3290.JPG

The Chess Plaza

STOP #11.mp3

IMG_2881.JPG

IMG_1969.JPG

IMG_3090.JPG

STOP 12. A RECENT BURIAL
Stop number 12, A Recent Burial
	 THEME MUSIC

You stand before a low earthen mound covered with plants, and maybe flowers depending on the month. Look down along the low fence and you'll see one large gray paving stone that’s engraved. The engraving is a little hard to read, so here's the story. 

	MUSIC: BURIAL HYMN, SCOTT BUCKLEY

Buried five feet beneath this mound is a wooden box containing human remains.  Some remains were removed from burial vaults and plots uncovered at the northeastern corner of the Park during construction projects.The city reinterred the remains on this site in 2021. The plots and vaults belonged to churches that used to be on the east side of the Park. The Scotch Presbyterian Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and Asbury African Church. 

But other remains were probably from a potter's field the city began in 1797 to bury the poor and victims of yellow fever. This was before there was an Arch, and before it was even a Park. The potter's field covered a large part of what is the Park today, and 20,000 people were buried. Then it was full and the city had to find another cemetery. Now you may wonder: are the dead still here beneath our feet? Yes they are. You may also wonder: were there any headstones? Amazingly, only one was ever found. And that's your next stop.  

Keep walking on this path past the dog run to the Park building. Near the far end you'll see the headstone behind a glass window. I'll meet you there.

52 Washington Square South \|||// STOP 12. A RECENT BURIAL
Stop number 12, A Recent Burial
	 THEME MUSIC

You stand before a low earthen mound covered with plants, and maybe flowers depending on the month. Look down along the low fence and you'll see one large gray paving stone that’s engraved. The engraving is a little hard to read, so here's the story. 

	MUSIC: BURIAL HYMN, SCOTT BUCKLEY

Buried five feet beneath this mound is a wooden box containing human remains.  Some remains were removed from burial vaults and plots uncovered at the northeastern corner of the Park during construction projects.The city reinterred the remains on this site in 2021. The plots and vaults belonged to churches that used to be on the east side of the Park. The Scotch Presbyterian Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and Asbury African Church. 

But other remains were probably from a potter's field the city began in 1797 to bury the poor and victims of yellow fever. This was before there was an Arch, and before it was even a Park. The potter's field covered a large part of what is the Park today, and 20,000 people were buried. Then it was full and the city had to find another cemetery. Now you may wonder: are the dead still here beneath our feet? Yes they are. You may also wonder: were there any headstones? Amazingly, only one was ever found. And that's your next stop.  

Keep walking on this path past the dog run to the Park building. Near the far end you'll see the headstone behind a glass window. I'll meet you there.

LS MOUND 2.JPG

A Recent Burial

STOP #12.mp3

CU ENGRAVING.JPG

burial.jpg

STOP 13. THE HEADSTONE
Stop number thirteen. The Headstone
	THEME MUSIC...

Behind this window is a brown slab of stone, three-feet tall and about a foot and a half wide. It's the only headstone ever unearthed in Washington Square Park, despite the fact that almost two thirds of the Park had been a potter's field for burying poor folk and victims of epidemics. 

	SFX: SHOVEL DIGGING

Reconstruction projects through the years occasionally unearthed human remains, but no other headstones. The engraving may be hard to read through the window so here's what it says.
“Here lies the body of James Jackson, who departed this life the 22nd day of September 1799 aged 28 years, native of the county of Kildare Ireland.”  

Jackson probably died of yellow fever because there was an outbreak in 1799. And historians tell us that Jackson lived on the lower east side of Manhattan. And that he worked as a watchman.  But why James Jackson and his headstone ended up in Washington Square is a mystery. There is more information on what we know about the headstone on the interpretive plaque installed just to the right of the window.

Now continue walking on this path until you come to a wide Park entrance on your right. It faces onto the street, Washington Square South.

57 Washington Square South \|||// STOP 13. THE HEADSTONE
Stop number thirteen. The Headstone
	THEME MUSIC...

Behind this window is a brown slab of stone, three-feet tall and about a foot and a half wide. It's the only headstone ever unearthed in Washington Square Park, despite the fact that almost two thirds of the Park had been a potter's field for burying poor folk and victims of epidemics. 

	SFX: SHOVEL DIGGING

Reconstruction projects through the years occasionally unearthed human remains, but no other headstones. The engraving may be hard to read through the window so here's what it says.
“Here lies the body of James Jackson, who departed this life the 22nd day of September 1799 aged 28 years, native of the county of Kildare Ireland.”  

Jackson probably died of yellow fever because there was an outbreak in 1799. And historians tell us that Jackson lived on the lower east side of Manhattan. And that he worked as a watchman.  But why James Jackson and his headstone ended up in Washington Square is a mystery. There is more information on what we know about the headstone on the interpretive plaque installed just to the right of the window.

Now continue walking on this path until you come to a wide Park entrance on your right. It faces onto the street, Washington Square South.

Jackson headstone in dirt.jpg

The Headstone

STOP #13.mp3

Headstone at Night 2.jpg

Headstone at Night.jpg

CU PLAQUE.JPG

STOP 14. JUDSON MEMORIAL CHURCH
Stop number fourteen. Judson Memorial Church
	 THEME MUSIC…

Look across the street. The building with the bell tower is Judson Memorial Church. It’s not part of the Park, but has sponsored many marches and demonstrations held in the Park. Judson is a city landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its architect was Stanford White, who you might recall also designed the Arch across the Park. 

	MUSIC: “IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL” -- JUDSON CONGREGATION

The church was built in 1891 by the Baptist minister Edward Judson. He built it to honor the memory of his father who was the first American missionary to be sent abroad, to Burma.  Edward Judson thought of himself as a missionary too, since he served the poor neighborhoods south of the Park filled with immigrants -- French, German, Italian and African Americans. 
The church’s design is called Romanesque or Italianate. It’s covered by straw-colored brick and white terra-cotta trim. The campanile or bell tower is 165 feet tall. 

Judson Memorial became famous in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s because of Howard Moody, it’s social activist pastor. His church helped drug addicts, provided shelter for battered women, and took part in civil rights and antiwar demonstrations, many right across the street in the Park where you are standing. He also invited avant-garde artists, musicians, and actors into the church. Today Judson describes itself as quote -- a church, a performing arts space, and a social justice center that is a little bit different and committed to making a difference.

Now head back to the fountain, and find a seat anywhere to hear your next stop.

608 Thompson Street \|||// STOP 14. JUDSON MEMORIAL CHURCH
Stop number fourteen. Judson Memorial Church
	 THEME MUSIC…

Look across the street. The building with the bell tower is Judson Memorial Church. It’s not part of the Park, but has sponsored many marches and demonstrations held in the Park. Judson is a city landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its architect was Stanford White, who you might recall also designed the Arch across the Park. 

	MUSIC: “IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL” -- JUDSON CONGREGATION

The church was built in 1891 by the Baptist minister Edward Judson. He built it to honor the memory of his father who was the first American missionary to be sent abroad, to Burma.  Edward Judson thought of himself as a missionary too, since he served the poor neighborhoods south of the Park filled with immigrants -- French, German, Italian and African Americans. 
The church’s design is called Romanesque or Italianate. It’s covered by straw-colored brick and white terra-cotta trim. The campanile or bell tower is 165 feet tall. 

Judson Memorial became famous in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s because of Howard Moody, it’s social activist pastor. His church helped drug addicts, provided shelter for battered women, and took part in civil rights and antiwar demonstrations, many right across the street in the Park where you are standing. He also invited avant-garde artists, musicians, and actors into the church. Today Judson describes itself as quote -- a church, a performing arts space, and a social justice center that is a little bit different and committed to making a difference.

Now head back to the fountain, and find a seat anywhere to hear your next stop.

LS JUDSON.JPG

Judson Memorial Church

STOP #14.mp3

judsonwindows.jpeg

CU JUD TOWER 2.JPG

STOP 15.  TRAFFIC IN THE PARK
Stop number fifteen. Traffic in the Park
	SFX: TRAFFIC AND HORNS

Once upon a time, cars and buses and trucks could drive right through Washington Square Park, even through the arch. There was even a bus stop inside the Park. The fight to keep traffic out of the Park is part of its history. As I tell you about it, imagine what it was like with cars and buses roaring through here.

	MUSIC: “SINCE I JOINED TAMMANY HALL” 

In 1870 Boss Tweed – remember he was the first Parks commissioner  -- he redesigned the Park with a road through it connecting Fifth Avenue to streets south of the Park. In his day traffic meant horses and wagons, but the twentieth century brought cars and trucks. And buses. Fifth Avenue buses could stop inside the Park to pick up passengers before heading back up town. For decades, Greenwich Village residents complained about traffic in the Park. Resistance came to a head the 1950s when City Parks commissioner Robert Moses had a plan to build even wider roads through the Park. And he wanted to get rid of the fountain and build a bus turnaround that could hold ten buses. 

	SFX:  BUS GOES BY

Demonstrations grew, led by a committee that included Jane Jacobs, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Margaret Mead. In 1959 the city finally banned traffic through the Park, though buses could still drive inside to pick up passengers. Five years later in 1963, the city banned buses too.  So today you can sit here and enjoy the fountain with no fear of being hit by a bus!

	THEME MUSIC

That’s the end of your tour. To support the Washington Square Park Conservancy in its mission to help keep the park clean, safe, and beautiful you can make a donation on its web site:  washingtonsqpark.org/donate. That's washingtonsqpark.org/donate. On your screen you can see a photo of the Arch and a website link.

And if you want to hear how this tour was made and who made it, listen to Stop number 16. We call it One More Thing.

59 Washington Square South \|||// STOP 15.  TRAFFIC IN THE PARK
Stop number fifteen. Traffic in the Park
	SFX: TRAFFIC AND HORNS

Once upon a time, cars and buses and trucks could drive right through Washington Square Park, even through the arch. There was even a bus stop inside the Park. The fight to keep traffic out of the Park is part of its history. As I tell you about it, imagine what it was like with cars and buses roaring through here.

	MUSIC: “SINCE I JOINED TAMMANY HALL” 

In 1870 Boss Tweed – remember he was the first Parks commissioner  -- he redesigned the Park with a road through it connecting Fifth Avenue to streets south of the Park. In his day traffic meant horses and wagons, but the twentieth century brought cars and trucks. And buses. Fifth Avenue buses could stop inside the Park to pick up passengers before heading back up town. For decades, Greenwich Village residents complained about traffic in the Park. Resistance came to a head the 1950s when City Parks commissioner Robert Moses had a plan to build even wider roads through the Park. And he wanted to get rid of the fountain and build a bus turnaround that could hold ten buses. 

	SFX:  BUS GOES BY

Demonstrations grew, led by a committee that included Jane Jacobs, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Margaret Mead. In 1959 the city finally banned traffic through the Park, though buses could still drive inside to pick up passengers. Five years later in 1963, the city banned buses too.  So today you can sit here and enjoy the fountain with no fear of being hit by a bus!

	THEME MUSIC

That’s the end of your tour. To support the Washington Square Park Conservancy in its mission to help keep the park clean, safe, and beautiful you can make a donation on its web site:  washingtonsqpark.org/donate. That's washingtonsqpark.org/donate. On your screen you can see a photo of the Arch and a website link.

And if you want to hear how this tour was made and who made it, listen to Stop number 16. We call it One More Thing.

Bus in Arch.jpg

Traffic in the Park

STOP #15.mp3

50294081623_1f0c6fd9fb_o.jpg

lastcar.jpg

donate.jpg

#16. ONE MORE THING...
	MUSIC: SINCE I JOINED TAMMANY HALL

This audio tour was written, produced, and narrated by me, Lou Giansante for the Washington Square Park Conservancy.  Script consultants were Grace Harmon, Community Relations Director of the Conservancy, and Sheryl Woodruff, former Deputy Director of the Conservancy. 

This music, titled Since I Joined Tammany Hall, is from Parlorsongs.com
Other music came from Pond 5 by Sonus RF, Master Music, Jae C Music, and Sound Phenomenon.
The Burial Hymn was by composer Scott Buckley.
Thanks to the Judson Memorial Church for the song "It is Well With My Soul"
Thanks to Louis Eagle Warrior for Lenape music at nativeamericansmusic.org.
Sound effects were from Freesound.org and Freesfx.co.uk
For visuals, thanks to Ann Weintraub Limited for the aerial photo of the Park.
Thanks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the etching Arch Conspirators by John Sloan.
Thanks to the New York University Archives for the photo of a bus in the Park and to the Village Preservation Archives for the photo of the last car in the Park.

And thanks to you for taking our tour today. If you'd like to support the Washington Square Park Conservancy, visit washingtonsqpark.org/donate. That's washingtonsqpark.org/donate. And remember there's always something happening in Washington Square!


59 Washington Square South \|||// #16. ONE MORE THING...
	MUSIC: SINCE I JOINED TAMMANY HALL

This audio tour was written, produced, and narrated by me, Lou Giansante for the Washington Square Park Conservancy.  Script consultants were Grace Harmon, Community Relations Director of the Conservancy, and Sheryl Woodruff, former Deputy Director of the Conservancy. 

This music, titled Since I Joined Tammany Hall, is from Parlorsongs.com
Other music came from Pond 5 by Sonus RF, Master Music, Jae C Music, and Sound Phenomenon.
The Burial Hymn was by composer Scott Buckley.
Thanks to the Judson Memorial Church for the song "It is Well With My Soul"
Thanks to Louis Eagle Warrior for Lenape music at nativeamericansmusic.org.
Sound effects were from Freesound.org and Freesfx.co.uk
For visuals, thanks to Ann Weintraub Limited for the aerial photo of the Park.
Thanks to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the etching Arch Conspirators by John Sloan.
Thanks to the New York University Archives for the photo of a bus in the Park and to the Village Preservation Archives for the photo of the last car in the Park.

And thanks to you for taking our tour today. If you'd like to support the Washington Square Park Conservancy, visit washingtonsqpark.org/donate. That's washingtonsqpark.org/donate. And remember there's always something happening in Washington Square!

Hear an Audio Sample

WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK CONSERVANCY

Washington Square Park

Free

About

Get the App

Stay in Touch

Join our Newsletter

Get the App

About

Stay in Touch