Each day the park comes alive and is a hub of cultural activity in Greenwich Village, with a strong presence of street performers, buskers, chess players, poets and musicians.
On the surface it seems to be just like any other regular park but what many don’t know is that in 1706 the square was once known as Potter’s Field and was a public graveyard for the poor. It is believed that up to 20,000 bodies lie beneath the park including those with no religious affiliation, slaves, suicide victims and visitors to the city.
During the Revolutionary War, the site served as a military cemetery for British and American soldiers and then a space to bury victims of the yellow fever epidemic in 1793 before Potter’s Field closed to burials in 1794. The state decided to landscape the grounds into a public park and the square was renamed in 1825 in honour of George Washington and to celebrate the centennial of his inauguration.
The park’s sinister history continues with the inclusion of what is said to be the oldest tree in Manhattan, which is over 330 years old and located in the northwest corner. Nicknamed ‘The Hangman’s Elm’, or ‘Hanging tree’ it is believed that many traitors of the Revolutionary War and inmates from the nearby Newgate State Prison were hung from the branches. There are many urban legends surrounding the tree as no records confirm if any hangings actually took place, but it’s still interesting to wander by and see this old sturdy English elm.
Not only did the square act as a burial ground but it has always been a gathering place for the living. Many free and enslaved Africans used to socialise in the park prior to the American Revolution before the likes of many young bohemians, beatniks and folk artists adopted it as a meeting place in the 50’s and 60’s. Artists like Buddy Holly would spend a lot of time here gaining inspiration by listening to people play and to this day it acts as a meeting place to embrace the freedom of expression.
Grab a coffee from one of the nearby coffee houses (Stumptown, Irving Farm & Third Rail are all close by) and enjoy a stroll through this significant cultural gathering place with an especially dark history.
