Washington Square Park

Washington Square Park. . An oasis of greenery in a busy downtown, Washington Square is the City's oldest park, dating to 1842 when James Fitch, Orasmua Bushnell, and Charles Butler of the American Land Company donated the property to the City., The donors named the site Washington Square. As the developers had hoped, Chicago's Washington Square was soon surrounded by many fine residences and churches. In 1869, the City began improving the park with lawn, trees, bisecting diagonal walks, limestone coping, and picket fencing. By the 1890s, an attractive Victorian fountain adorned the square., Within a decade the park had deteriorated and the fountain was razed, spurring Alderman RR McCormick to devote his aldermanic salary to park improvements, including the donation of a $600 fountain. The City allocated an additional $10,000 to fund landscape improvements planned by the renowned designer, Jens Jensen., When the surrounding neighborhood became more diverse, many of the old mansions were converted into flophouses, earning the park the nickname, "“Bughouse Square.” It became a popular spot for soapbox orators., The City transferred Washington Square to the Chicago Park District in 1959. Alderman McCormick's fountain was removed in the 1970s. In the 1990s the park was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and the Park District, the City, and neighborhood organizations agreed on a restoration plan. Improvements included a reconstructive historic fountain, period lighting, fencing, and new plantings., Today the three-acre historic park remains much as it has throughout ite history. Much beloved by, residents and visitors, the park elicits strong feelings in its users as can be seen in this quote from the e-survey sent out as part of the strategic planning process:, "The joy and peace this park shares with me just by being simple and well-used. It's like going home: full of love, the caring of an extended family, their support and an open community. The opportunity to grow and learn from young and old, rich and poor, long-term park users to newbies." , -Survey Participant 2015-2016, Alderman Brian Hopkins selected Washington Square Park as the recipient of the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund. In late 2018, the funds were used to purchase new benches, kiosks and historical signage., The Park's description above is by Julia S. Bachrach, who is an award-winning author, historian, preservationist and urban planner. She served as historian and planning supervisor to the Chicago Park District for more than two decades. Her books include The City in a Garden: A History of Chicago Parks., (rest of marker not transcribed) ,