Washington Square Park

Before you reach the center of the park, look toward the northwest corner. You will see a large, ancient English elm tree that locals call the Hangman's Elm. While stories often claim this tree served as a gallows for public executions throughout the eighteenth century, historians have found little evidence to support the more gruesome legends. The only documented execution on this site is that of a young woman named Rose Butler, who was hanged nearby in eighteen twenty for arson. Despite the lack of an official record for most of the lore, the tree stands as a silent witness to the park's transition from a grim, forgotten corner of the city into one of its most famous public spaces.