The short duration of this burial ground stems from the fact that it was used only to inter those who died at nearby at the hospital at nearby Belle Vue Farm (today's Bellevue Hospital) and the local almshouse during a devastating yellow fever epidemic. NOTE: Some of the dates above are estimates, as record keeping for these kinds of things is rather hit and miss! One person who definitely lies beneath the park is William Jenkins Worth, a veteran of the Mexican-American War. The big question, though, is whether there are still bodies decomposing beneath our feet. Barclays Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Plese check the I'm not a robot checkbox.'. We've received your submission. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Like Washington Square, this park also enjoyed a former life as a potter’s field, from 1791 to 1794. Enter a valid email address and a feedback message. The potter’s field was shut down in 1825 following complaints from the residents of the surrounding posh neighborhood. Lime had to be spread to combat the stench. The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge in New York City and is one of the oldest bridges in the United States. For decades, the area's original identity went unmarked, until burials were discovered during excavations in the 1990s. Brian ZakThe next time you’re digging into a tasty burger from the original Shake Shack location, try not to think about what’s in the ground beneath you. Madison Square Park Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. × This remained the principal cemetery for Quakers in New York during a period of incredible prosperity for New York City, thanks to the opening of Erie Canal and the planned formation of streets and avenue from the Commissioner's Plan of 1811. Sometimes, however, they left the bodies where they lay. The best way to get from Washington Square Park to Green-Wood Cemetery without a car is to subway which takes 39 min and costs $3. Please enter at least 2 characters. One of the more popular final resting places, the graveyard at lower Manhattan’s Trinity Church, was packed with 125,000 bodies by 1822. based on information from your browser. Washington Square Park → Green-Wood Cemetery, Washington Square Park to Green-Wood Cemetery, Take the subway from W 4 St-Wash Sq to 9 Av, Take the bus from E 23 St / Park Av S to Mcdonald Av / Caton Av, Take a taxi from Washington Square Park to Green-Wood Cemetery, Drive from Washington Square Park to Green-Wood Cemetery. And in several cases they even left the bodies behind! One group, however, was incensed by the plan—affluent New Yorkers who had country retreats in Greenwich village. In an address delivered to the New-York Historical Society in 1857, John W. Francis describes the potter’s field at Washington Square as “our Golgotha during the dreadful visitations of the Yellow Fever in 1797, 1798, 1801, and 1803…many a victim of the pestilence, of prominent celebrity, was consigned to that final resting-place on earth, regardless of his massive gains, or his public services.”. The keeper, who lived in a house in the northeast corner of the seven-acre site, dug graves, maintained the grounds, and performed another important function—protecting the cemetery from grave robbers. Rome2rio makes travelling from Washington Square Park to Green-Wood Cemetery easy. Try again. This property forms approximately the eastern two-thirds of today’s Washington Square Park. A public cemetery for Manhattan's poor and victims of contagious diseases, as well as the unknown, it occupied 6 acres on the southeast bank of Minetta Creek.It was the successor to the Potter's Field at present-day Madison Square Park, and it was superseded by the Potter's Field at present-day Bryant Park.During its years of use, it was called simply "Potter's Field" and it appears written as such in the Manhattan Death Registers of the day.════════════════════════════════════════▫ Years of use: 1797 — 1823.▫ Cemetery disposition: Destroyed.════════════════════════════════════════The burials were left in place, but the site was leveled and redeveloped as a parade ground beginning in 1825. Your Ad Choices Please enter at least 2 characters. In April 1797, New York City authorities decided to purchase a piece of property “bounded on the Road leading from the Bowery Lane at the two Mile Stone to Greenwich” to replace the public burial ground then in use at Madison Square Park. Washington Square Park was a potter's field from 1797 to 1826, and in early 2008, during a soil testing, four bodies were discovered (and left buried) there. But I bet you don’t know the full history of the park and who or what lies below. Union Square Yet another burial plot for paupers, still further north of city center. Washington Square Park The city proceeded with preparing the new burial ground, bounded by Greenwich Lane on the north, Fourth street on the south, Wooster Street on the east, and Minetta Creek (which ran southwest from the foot of Fifth Avenue to the corner of MacDougal and Fourth streets) on the west. 1794-1797 Prisoners from nearby Newgate Prison, who were executed via hanging from one of the park’s trees, were also buried here. Rome2rio displays up to date schedules, route maps, journey times and estimated fares from relevant transport operators, ensuring you can make an informed decision about which option will suit you best. The journey takes approximately 25 min. For almost one hundred years, starting in the 1690s, New York slaves and black freedmen alike were forced to bury their friends and loved ones outside the comfort of church and city limits, in an area south of Collect Pond, New York's source for fresh drinking water. To upload a spreadsheet, please use the old site. And not just on the L train. Washington Square Park is a 9.75-acre (39,500 m 2) public park in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City.One of the best known of New York City's public parks, it is an icon as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. In 1788, Africans filed a petition to stop medical students from stealing bodies from the cemetery for research. The social distance requirement in Green-Wood Cemetery is 2 metres. Please reset your password. It is believed up to 20,000 bodies lie beneath this Greenwich Village park, dating back to when the space was a “Potter’s Field.” Brian ZakRight by Mariner’s Gate, dead folks rest in peace. And if you're in a Halloween mood, visit our blog and download our latest Halloween-themed podcast, Early Ghost Stories of Old New York! Imagine how bad it’s gotten below ground over the years. In the case of these five locations, the answer is yes. Before that, several now-prominent locations served as burial grounds, including Bryant Park, Union Square and the site of the Waldorf Astoria. Its location is near the New York Federal Reserve. Madison Square Park 1794-1797 The short duration of this burial ground stems from the fact that it was used only to inter those who died at nearby at the hospital at nearby Belle Vue Farm (today's Bellevue Hospital) and the local almshouse during a devastating yellow fever epidemic. To suggest a correction or addition, visit the memorial page and click Suggest Edits. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to feedback@findagrave.com and include a link to the page and details about the problem. Please try again later. In 1871, laborers uprooting a tree uncovered a coffin containing the remains of a 16-year-old member of All Angels who passed away in 1852. The cheapest way to get from Washington Square Park to Green-Wood Cemetery is to drive which costs $1 - $2 and takes 14 min.