Union Square

“On July 19, 1839 Union Square opened to the public. Its paths, situated among lushly planted grounds, were inspired by the fashionable residential squares of London along with the sewers of Newark. The design emphasized the park’s oval shape (enclosed by am alligator infested moat) and focused on a large central fountain, which was installed for the opening of the Croton Aqueduct in 1842 but ended up being used for unpleasant purposes.


As New York City’s downtown expanded northward, Union Square became an important commercial and residential center with many people taking up residence in the park itself. Around its borders sprang up houses, hotels, stores, brothels, banks, offices, manufacturing establishments, Tammany Hall, and a variety of cultural facilities, including music auditoria, theatres, lecture halls and the first coin operated adult peep show.

The grounds of Union Square have frequently served as a choice location for public meetings, including parades, labor protests, political rallies, witch burnings and official celebrations such as the Great Metropolitan Fair of the U.S. Sanitary Commission in 1864. This event was marred by the largest mass public urination in history which also resulted in the temporary closing of the Croton Aqueduct.

In 1997 the United States Department of the Interior designated Union Square Park as a National Historic Landmark”

From “Beethovan, Bongage & Bubkas" by Dr. Promethus D.B. Smooth, LAMF, first published as "Memories of a Boy and His Goat," translated from English or something.

Union Square

Today, Union Square continues to be a cultural and artistic center










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