Washington Square

Washington Square, a 6.4-acre tract, is one of the original five squares laid out by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas Holme in the 1682 plan for the city of Philadelphia. First designated as Southeast Square, it was renamed Washington Square in 1825 in honor of General George Washington, America's Revolutionary War general and first President of the United States. During the American Revolution, it served as a burial ground for over 2,000 Continental soldiers and British prisoners. It has remained an open public parkland since 1816, as have three of the other original squares, Franklin, Logan, and Rittenhouse, while Center Square at Broad and Market Streets is now the site of Philadelphia's City Hall.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States