Spring 2016 Curator's Choice - What Old Maps Can Tell Us: Cartographic Evidence and the Archaeology of Washington Square Park

Event Details

For Patron level ($250 )or higher

Archaeologist Joan Geismar will show us how items from the Library’s Map Division helped inform her work at Washington Square Park before and during its recent renovations.  The well-known 1811 Commissioners’ Map and other 19th-century maps document features that predate the Park as we know it, including a Potter’s Field and the Parade Ground that supplanted it after 1825.  Dr. Geismar will also discuss finding the location of the Potter’s Field keeper’s house and that of an 18th-century domestic complex in the northwest quadrant of the Park.  There are centuries of history under the Park that are an important part of its story and of New York history—come learn more in the handsomely restored Map Division.  

To reserve your spot, please call the Friends Office at 212.930.0653 or email