Local neighborhood website Washington Square Park Blog recently investigated the meaning behind the large, engraved, roman numerals that appear on the western and eastern sides of the Washington Square Arch in Greenwich Village.
The Arch was created to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration. The date written out in Roman Numerals on the eastern side of the Arch is not 1889 – to mark the centennial and when the first Arch was built – nor the date when the current Arch was finished – 1890-1892 – but is 1789 – the actual year of Washington’s inauguration. The date written in Roman Numerals on the Western side marks the centennial – 1889.
Check out the full article to learn more about it.
Matt Coneybeare
Editor in Chief
Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.
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