WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK, NYC
Role: Designer
Client: NYC Parks
In collaboration with BKSK Architects
Formerly a potter’s field, Washington Square Park continues to reveal mysteries of its long history. Amid park renovations in 2009, the headstone of James Jackson, a 28-year-old Irish immigrant and watchman who died of yellow fever in 1799, was uncovered.
Although the headstone was discovered in two pieces, the lower half was unfortunately lost. This display recreates the missing piece in cast glass while a steel frame supports the stone and glass. The custom steel is robust enough to support the assembly while gently holding the elements in place. The installation is exhibited in a window of the Park House where the public can view and interpret this piece of park history.