Presented with Bowery Boys Walks – Washington Square Park as a Potter’s Field

From 1797 to 1826, parts of what is now Washington Square Park served as a potter’s field and church burial ground. During this period, it provided free burials for the impoverished and victims of devastating yellow fever epidemics. The site also holds a dark historical note, having been the location of a public execution of an enslaved woman in 1819 and the site of multiple grave robberies. Excavations over the years have occasionally unearthed skeletal remains, coffins, and even a tombstone. Today, an estimated 20,000 bodies are believed to still rest beneath the park’s surface. Come unearth this fascinating history with us in partnership with Bowery Boy Walks by guide James Henry. 

Registration Required – Sign up here! 

Please note – maximum of two per party. This is a free tour, so please email craig@boweryboyspodcast.com if you can’t make it, so we can offer the space to someone else.