{"id":15299,"date":"2022-03-11T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/content-manager\/?p=15299"},"modified":"2022-03-11T15:01:31","modified_gmt":"2022-03-11T20:01:31","slug":"washington-square-park-a-bohemian-heaven-or-a-former-graveyard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/blog\/washington-square-park-a-bohemian-heaven-or-a-former-graveyard\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington Square Park, a Bohemian Heaven, or a Former Graveyard?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

New York City’s<\/a> Greenwich Village is a thriving financial\/entertainment center and a testament to the city’s rich history. A favorite destination for history, art, music, foodies, and architecture buffs, this area is also home to countless corporate headquarters.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Graveyard in NYC Manhattan<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

A dark and mysterious past lies at the heart of the Greenwich Village<\/a> mystique. In 1797 the city government designated the ten-acre Washington Square park as an execution site. This meant that, prior to 1820, Washington Square Park was the site of public executions and a cemetery for the unknown (potter’s field<\/a>). As a result, locals associate many unsolved mysteries and murders with this former graveyard.<\/p>\r\n

For example, Edgar Allan Poe was inspired in the mystery of “The Mystery of Marie Rog\u00eat” by the 1841 murder of Mary Cecilia Rogers and the subsequent suicide of her fianc\u00e9. A similar mystery surrounds the case of infamous crime boss, Arnold Rothstein (rumored to have interfered with the 1919 World Series), whose murder remains a mystery to this day. The mobster was shot at the Park Central Hotel in the stomach while playing poker. Despite living for several additional days, he mysteriously refused to reveal his murderer’s identity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

By 1960, New York City’s population grew exponentially, increasing the borough borders. In addition, up to 3.5 million people populated the neighborhood during the 20th century due to the migrant boom. As a result, Greenwich Village is a testament to the diversity and growth of NYC’s culture. Visitors and locals alike are captivated by Greenwich Village’s historic charm and modern glitz, resulting in billions flocking to the city to visit.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Washington Square Park<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Washington Square Park is home to the Washington Square Association<\/a>, the oldest cultural neighborhood association in NYC, located directly across from the Washington Square Arch (designed by Stanford White, 1892). This neighborhood is home to a thriving culture of writers, artists, and musicians. Today no one would suspect that the park sits on top of a populated graveyard. However, the popular estimate is that around 20,000 bodies lie below the park grounds. In the northwest corner of the park, you will find the “Hangman’s Elm,”<\/a> the oldest surviving tree in Manhattan<\/a>. Authorities allegedly used the tree as an execution (hanging) site. In 1890, during the arch construction, numerous corpses and graves were unearthed, some gravestones dating back to 1803. This graveyard was likely a burial site<\/a> of the adjacent Scotch Presbyterian Church.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

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