Site: Washington Park
Artifact: the arch
Sounds recorded in the park:
water sound of fountain/ music performance in the park/ birds singing/ A musician plays the piano
Research about Washington Park
- Washington Square used to be the farming place, and then burial ground. There are still more than 20,000 bodies under the ground. (Geismar, Joan H. Washington Square Park: Phase 1A Archaeological Assessment, 2007)
- This place was considered to be rebuilt as a park in 1849 and 1850. (Geismar, Joan H. Washington Square Park: Phase 1A Archaeological Assessment, 2007)
- The famous arch was made with plaster and wood, but now its material is marble. (“Architectural Homage”. Teachinghistory.org. Retrieved March 5, 2016)
- There are two statues of Washington standing on the arch, facing the north.
- One of the secrets of Washington Park is that there is a spiral interior stair inside the arch and “bohemian” group had a picnic at the roof of the arch. (https://untappedcities.com/2016/03/25/the-top-10-secrets-of-the-washington-square-arch-in-nyc/2/)
- The material of making arch is same as the one used for building NYC’s Federal Hall. (Vera Penavic, The top ten secrets of the Washington Square Arch in NYC, 2016)
- The arch became an artwork once by Francis Hines. (Vera Penavic, The top ten secrets of the Washington Square Arch in NYC, 2016)
Interview of 5 random people about a question: What is our favorite thing of Washington Park?
- A girl who is babysitting answered, “Fountain”, without giving any reasons and details.
- An old lady with her husband. She is from British Colombia, Canada. She said she was here for only ten minutes and loves watching people. People here are interesting to look, and she loves the green space around, which is really meaningful for the city.
- A lady who was taking photo. She loves the music around and the way people meeting each other. Also, she really gets relaxed in the park.
- An African American lady. She thought walking in the park could breathe fresh air and all kinds of people can be seen like Chinese, Spanish and American. She felt good to stay in the park.
- A young couple who live out of the town. The young lady loves the view of the park. She thought the arch is beautiful and the music is around. People can be relaxed.
Sketches:
