Worth Square facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Worth Square |
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Park signage
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Location | Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. |
Area | 0.27 acres |
Worth Square, also known as General Worth Square, is a public space in Manhattan, New York City. It is located on East 25th Street, between Broadway and Fifth Avenue. The square sits right next to Madison Square Park.
This special square is more than just a park. It serves as a memorial (a place to remember someone) and is also the burial site of William Jenkins Worth. This means General Worth's remains are buried right there! The only other monument in New York City that is also a mausoleum (a building that holds a tomb) is Grant's Tomb in Harlem. Worth Square is about 0.27 acres in size. It is managed by the New_York_City_Department_of_Parks_and_Recreation.
History of Worth Square
In spring 2017, Worth Square got a big makeover. As part of this project, the section of Broadway between 24th and 25th Street was changed. It became a "shared street." This means regular cars are not allowed to drive through. Delivery vehicles can only go very slowly, about 5 miles per hour.
This project built on an idea from 2008. Back then, part of the intersection of Broadway and Fifth Avenue was turned into a public plaza. This made the intersection simpler and safer. The 2017 project expanded Worth Square by turning the nearby block of Broadway into this new "shared street."
The Worth Monument
The monument for General Worth was one of the first of its kind in a city park. Before this, the last statue in a city park was of King George III. That statue was removed from Bowling Green way back in 1776.
Worth's monument is the second oldest in New York City. It is also unique because it is one of only two monuments in the city that also serves as a mausoleum. The other one is Grant's Tomb.