Around Washington Square: An Illustrated History of Greenwich Village

by Luther S. Harris

Describing Washington Square, Henry James wrote that it was "as if the wine of life had been poured for you, in advance, into some pleasant old punch bowl." Created in 1826 through the visionary efforts of philanthropist and New York City mayor Philip Hone, the elegant and vibrant square anchors one of the world's most storied neighborhoods, Greenwich Village. Today, the quarter retains much of the charm it possessed in earlier eras when it served as a mecca for artists and activists, intellectuals and indigents, brahmins and bohemians. Yet its history has been clouded by half-truths and myths, while some of its most colorful and influential residents―and its role in the city's growth―lie undiscovered. Neighborhood historian and preservationist Luther S. Harris has spent twenty years researching the real story of New York's social and cultural hub, and in Around Washington Square he has produced the definitive history of Greenwich Village, illustrated with more than two hundred photographs and engravings, many from his private collection. Harris's prodigious research efforts among city council minutes, real-estate tax and conveyance ledgers, directories, family histories, architectural records, institutional and business inventories, newspapers, private collections, and public archives have uncovered surprising facts about the origins of Greenwich Village and its influence on the development of Fifth Avenue and upper Manhattan. Formally established as a separate political jurisdiction―the Fifteenth Ward―in 1832, the neighborhood known today as Greenwich Village reached its social apogee in the 1850s and 1860s as the home of New York's wealthiest and most powerful citizens. Then known as the Empire Ward, it boasted Manhattan's finest churches and homes, its most exclusive clubs, its best-endowed libraries and galleries, and its grandest hotels, shops, and theaters. The neighborhood had also begun to attract artists and writers, including leading members of the Hudson River School and such prominent literary talents as Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, and Walt Whitman. Deftly balancing architectural, cultural, political, and social history, Harris follows the quarter's history into the twentieth century. Early in the century the Village acquired its bohemian reputation and became synonymous with radical politics, revolutionary art, and idiosyncratic lifestyles. Intellectual exchanges at Mabel Dodge's Fifth Avenue salon, among others, reverberated nationwide, as did the groundbreaking plays of Eugene O'Neill, journalism of Lincoln Steffens, and paintings of the Ashcan School. As expertly recounted by Harris, for the rest of the twentieth century the Village continued to draw many in the arts―from Edward Hopper and Jackson Pollock to Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan―helping to make New York the art capital of the world. Preservation battles in the 1950s and 1960s over the opposing ideas of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs left the Village fabric largely intact. Concluding with the neighborhood's decline in the 1970s and renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s, Around Washington Square captures the charm, energy, and individuality of Greenwich Village.

Genres: History, New York

400 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2003

Reviews

[Alan Korolenko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Researched and detailed history of Greenwich Village from events leading to it's establishment as an identifiable ward (Fifteeth Ward) through the prosperity of the mid 19th Century, the rise of the artistic and ethnic communities, the threats of development and deterioration during the mid 20th century and the historic landmark protection and increasing wealth of today. People and events are covered but the emphasis is on the physical development of the neighborhoods.

[Rama Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

The American Bohemia

This is a visually captivating exploration of one of New York City's most iconic neighborhoods, the Washington Square Park. It is a narrative of the history of Greenwich Village, a cultural and geographical landmark for three centuries. Once, this was the 17th-century Dutch settlement and progressively transformed into a fashionable residential and university district in the 19th century. And later as the epicenter of the city's bohemian, creative, and activist movements. The narrative covers a broad range of themes, the architectural evolution, the construction of row houses, and the rise of artistic communities. Greenwich Village became more involved in civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and anti-war protests in the 20th century.

The book is illustrated with photographs, maps, and illustrations that bring the history into a proper perspective. They are informative and also visually rewarding. The narratives are effortless and engaging. Although the book covers a broad time frame, it does not cover the mid-20th century counterculture movement. This book is recommended to readers interested in the American history, history of New York City and its cultural legacy.