Washington Arch | |
.jpg) The south face of the arch | |
 Interactive map of Washington Square Arch | |
| Location | Washington Square Park,Manhattan,New York City, United States |
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| Coordinates | 40°43′52″N73°59′50″W / 40.7312355°N 73.9971028°W /40.7312355; -73.9971028 |
| Designer | Architect:Stanford White Sculptors: Frederick MacMonnies (spandrel panels) Philip Martiny (keystone eagles) Hermon A. MacNeil (George Washington as Commander-in Chief Alexander Stirling Calder (George Washington as President) |
| Builder | David H. King, Jr. |
| Material | Tuckahoe marble |
| Width | 57 ft (17 m) |
| Height | 73.5 ft (22.4 m) |
| Span | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
TheWashington Square Arch, officially theWashington Arch,[1] is amarblememorial arch inWashington Square Park, in theGreenwich Village neighborhood ofLower Manhattan, New York City. Designed by architectStanford White in 1891,[2] it commemorates thecentennial ofGeorge Washington's 1789 inauguration as President of the United States, and forms the southern terminus ofFifth Avenue.
Washington Arch, constructed of whiteTuckahoe marble, was conceived byStanford White, who adapted the form of a Romantriumphal arch, with a design close to the 1st-centuryArch of Titus in Rome. They were monuments which theRoman Republic and later emperors built throughout the empire to celebrate a victory or event. For example, the flying figures in thespandrels on either side of the arch arewinged victories. The monument's total height is 77 feet (23 m). The piers stand 30 feet (9.1 m) apart and thearch opening is 47 feet (14 m) high. Theiconography of the Arch centers on images of war and peace. On thefrieze are 13 large stars and 42 small stars, interspersed with capital "W"s.
The inscription on the attic story reads:
Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair. The event is in the hand of God.
— Washington
The north side of the eastern pier bears thesculptureGeorge Washington as Commander-in-Chief, Accompanied by Fame and Valor (1914–1916) byHermon A. MacNeil; the President is flanked byFame (left) andValor (right). The western pier hasGeorge Washington as President, Accompanied by Wisdom and Justice (1917–18) byAlexander Stirling Calder (father ofAlexander Calder), with flankingJustice (right) andWisdom (left) figures.[3] In the latter sculpture, a hand holds a book bearing theLatin phraseExitus Acta Probat ("the end justifies the deed"). These sculptures are commonly referred to asWashington at War andWashington at Peace, respectively. These figures and most of the rest of the carving on the arch was performed by thePiccirilli Brothers.[4]
Upon the last stone is carved a huge "P" in honor ofIgnacy Jan Paderewski, the famous Polish pianist and 3rd Prime Minister of Poland, who donated $4,500 collected from one of his concerts in New York.[2]
In 1889, a large plaster and wood memorial arch was erected over Fifth Avenue just north of Washington Square Park by local businessman and philanthropistWilliam Rhinelander Stewart (1852–1929). Stewart lived at 17Washington Square North, and his friends contributed $2,765 toward the work.Freemasons fromSt. John's Lodge No. 1 lead a procession through the arch with theGeorge Washington Inaugural Bible for the Centennial Parade ofWashington's Inauguration in 1889.[5] The temporary arch was so popular that more money was raised and, three years later, the permanent stone arch, designed by architect Stanford White, was erected.[6]
During the excavations for the eastern pier, human remains, acoffin, and agravestone dated 1803 were uncovered 10 feet (3.0 m) below ground level.[7] At the laying of the cornerstone, Freemasons fromSt. John's Lodge No. 1 were again present with theGeorge Washington Inaugural Bible.[8] The Arch was dedicated in 1895. In 1918, two statues of Washington were added to the north side.
By the late 20th century, the Washington Arch had become extensively defaced withspray-paintedgraffiti. It was cleaned and restored in 2003–04.[1] In modern times, the Washington Square Arch has become an unofficial symbol ofNew York University.[9]
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