Washington Square

SITE OVERVIEW

Washington Square, which is part of Independence National Historical Park, is a city green space that is home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution and a statue of George Washington. It is one of the original Philadelphia town squares laid out by William Penn in 1682.

While planned as a park, Washington Square was initially used as a slave cemetery and pasture. This veil of death continued during the American Revolution when over 2,000 Continental soldiers were buried here, many who died as prisoners while being held in Philadelphia jails during the British occupation of the city from September 1777 until June 1778. It continued to function as a cemetery until the Yellow Fever epidemic in 1793. People believed the dead bodies had caused the disease, so the cemetery was closed. However, bodies are still buried in the square to this day, and not just at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

It wasn’t until 1816 that Washington Square was finally converted into a city park. During the early part of the 1800s, trees, benches, and walkways were added.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution is a modern memorial, having been conceived and completed between 1953 and 1957. The Eternal Flame was not placed until the American Bicentennial celebration in 1976.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution and George Washington statue

A statue of George Washington was erected at the same time as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but it had been planned over a hundred years earlier. In fact, the cornerstone for the statue was placed in 1833, but funding for the project never materialized. The statue is a casting of an original that was done for the Virginia State Capitol in 1792 by Jean-Antoine Houdon. Houdon had made a bust of Washington in the late 1780s after meeting with him personally, and this statue is based on that bust and the physical measurements he took of Washington at the time.

George Washington Statue

LOCATION

Washington Square is bounded by Walnut, 6^th, and West Washington Square.

OPERATING HOURS

Washington Square is open year-round, 24-hours a day.

TICKETS AND FEES

There are no tickets or fees required to enter Washington Square.

WHAT TO DO

Washington Square is a place to sit and relax during a visit to Philadelphia. It is a typical inner-city green space.