Washington Square Park (Chicago)

Washington Square
Washington Square Park (Chicago) is located in Near North Side, Chicago
Washington Square Park (Chicago)
Location901 N. Clark St., Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates41°53′57″N 87°37′50″W / 41.89917°N 87.63056°W / 41.89917; -87.63056
BuiltSeptember 4, 1842 (donation date)
MPSChicago Park District MPS
NRHP reference No.91000566
Added to NRHPMay 20, 1991[1]

Washington Square, also known as Washington Square Park, is a park in Chicago, Illinois. A registered historic landmark that is better known by its nickname Bughouse Square (derived from the slang of bughouse referring to mental health facilities), it was the most celebrated open air free-speech center in the country as well as a popular Chicago tourist attraction. It is located across Walton Street from Newberry Library at 901 N. Clark Street in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States.[2] It is Chicago's oldest existing small park.[3] It is one of four Chicago Park District parks named after persons surnamed Washington (the others being Washington Park, Harold Washington Park, and Dinah Washington Park). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 20, 1991.

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ Rosemont, Franklin Bughouse Square, Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004 The Encyclopedia of Chicago, pp. 99. The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9
  3. ^ Pacyga, Dominic A., Playgrounds and Small Parks, Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004 The Encyclopedia of Chicago, pp. 622. The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9