Abingdon Square Park facts for kids
Abingdon Square Park is a small, historic park located in the Manhattan area of New York City. You can find it in a neighborhood called Greenwich Village. The park is surrounded by Eighth Avenue, Bank Street, Hudson Street, and West 12th Street.
Abingdon Square Park is one of New York City's oldest parks. It's also one of the smallest, covering about 0.25 acres (1,000 square meters). A community group called the Abingdon Square Conservancy helps take care of it, working with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
Discovering Abingdon Square Park's Past
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New York City officially bought the land for the park on April 22, 1831. A cast-iron fence was built around it in 1836. Later, in the 1880s, Mayor Abram Stevens Hewitt wanted to make more parks available to everyone. A famous architect named Calvert Vaux helped design a new look for Abingdon Square.
The land where the park sits was once part of a large 300-acre (1.2 square kilometer) estate. This estate was bought by Sir Peter Warren in 1740. Abingdon Square got its name from Charlotte Warren, Sir Peter's daughter. She married an English nobleman, Willoughby Bertie, the 4th Earl of Abingdon. Her father gave her the land as a wedding gift. Even though many British names in Manhattan were changed after the American Revolutionary War, Abingdon Square kept its name. This was because Charlotte and the Earl were known for supporting American independence.
In 2005, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation gave the park an award. This was to celebrate its recent improvements. On August 3, 2009, a small garden was created inside the park. This garden serves as a memorial to Adrienne Shelly.
The Abingdon Square Conservancy
The Abingdon Square Conservancy is a special non-profit group. It works to keep the park beautiful and historically important. The Conservancy relies completely on private donations to operate. It does not receive money from the government.
The Conservancy hires a plant expert, called a horticulturalist. This person designs and takes care of all the plants in the park. They also work with the City and supervise park maintenance. A groundskeeper is also employed to keep the park clean. The Conservancy works closely with the New York City Parks and Recreation Department. The department helps by collecting trash and opening and closing the park gates.
The Conservancy holds several fun events each year. These include a beautiful spring tulip display. They also have a "Tulip Celebration" party for their members. On Halloween night, they host a carved Pumpkin Patch. During winter, they put up festive holiday decorations and lights.
Getting to Abingdon Square Park
You can reach Abingdon Square Park using New York City's bus system. The M11 and M14A bus lines both end their routes at Abingdon Square.
