Philadelphia Public Art @philart.net

Tour: Washington Square

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The Washington Square Tour runs roughly Northeast to Southwest around and through the square. It starts on the Northwest corner of 4th and Walnut, then goes

Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom
1924 (approximate)
* Includes a representation of Saint George
* coat of arms, lions, unicorn, helmet and crown, harp, seated person, lance, horse, dragon
* Best viewed from the North side of Walnut. The other emblems probably represent places where General Accident operated.
* inscription:
Honi soit qui mal y pense
Dieu et mon droit
 * Entrance. South side of Walnut, West of 4th.
* 39.947320,-75.148480 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org entry for the building
+wikipedia.org's entry for the coat of arms
+newadvent.org's St. George page



Robert Morris
Paul Wayland Bartlett, 1925
* Statue of Robert Morris
* standing person, hat, cane, papers
* inscription: Patriot, Statesman, Financier, 1734-1806
 * North side of Walnut between 4th and 5th.
* 39.947700,-75.148600 [map] [nearby]
* Exhibits: Moved
* See also:
+phillyhistory.org picture of this piece, probably from in front of the Second Bank
+wikipedia.org's Paul Wayland Bartlett page
+wikipedia.org's Robert Morris page



Independence Building Reliefs
1925
* Relief medallions of Athena and Hermes
* small sitting, kneeling, standing people, angel, helmets, Independence Hall tower, machines and tools, papers, scrolls, and books, ship, cornucopias, symbols and allegories
* Best viewed from the North side of Walnut
* Entrance, North and West walls. South side of Walnut, East of 5th.
* 39.947415,-75.149200 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org entry for the building
+wikipedia.org's Athena page
+wikipedia.org's Hermes page



Commodore John Barry, USN
Samuel Murray, 1908 (from the base; the plaque says 1907)
* Statue of John Barry
* standing person wearing a hat, telescope, sword
* inscription:
Father of the Navy of the United States. Born in Wexford, Ireland, 1745. Died in Philadelphia, 1803.
Presented to the City of Philadelphia by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, 1907.
 * South side of Independence Hall. Between Chestnut and Walnut, 5th and 6th.
* 39.948350,-75.150100 [map] [nearby]
* Exhibits: War
* See also:
+1912 picture of this piece from phillyhistory.org
+wikipedia.org's Samuel Murray page
+ushistory.org's Commodore Barry page



Penn Mutual Building Doors
Robert Warren Noble (Architect), 1931
* small groups of people standing, sitting, machines and tools, furniture, baskets and jugs, books and scrolls, dogs, flowers, weapons, helmet, head in profile
* Entrance. Penn Mutual Building. South side of Walnut between 5th and 6th.
* 39.947525,-75.150250 [map] [nearby]
* Exhibits: Labor
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org's Robert Warren Noble page



William Penn
Edgar Viguers Seeler (Architect), 1914
* Relief portrait of William Penn
* head, hat
* Above the entrance. Penn Mutual Building. South side of Walnut, East of 6th.
* 39.947595,-75.150870 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org's Edgar Viguers Seeler page
+wikipedia.org's William Penn page



Total Environment
Barbara Neijna, 1986
* big abstract arches, spires
* Plaza. East side of 6th, South of Walnut.
* 39.946125,-75.151000 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+associationforpublicart.org's page for this piece
+wikipedia.org's Barbara Neijna page



Washington Square Prisoners of War Memorial
1900
* rock
* inscription:
In memory of the many American soldiers, who, during the War for Independence, died prisoners of war in the jails of Philadlelphia, and were buried in this ground during the years 1777 and 1778. Erected by Quaker City Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, October 1900
 * East side of Washington Square. Southwest of 6th and Walnut.
* 39.947400,-75.151550 [map] [nearby]
* Exhibits: War



Tom Foglietta
Zenos Frudakis, 2000
* Bas-relief bust of Thomas Foglietta
* small head and upper torso
* inscription:
City Councilman
Citizen of Philadelphia
Ambassador to Italy
Congressman
Champion of Historic Preservation
* Northeast of the center of Washington Square. Southwest of 6th and Walnut.
* 39.947250,-75.152000 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+zenosfrudakis.com
+wikipedia.org's Thomas M. Foglietta page



Washington Square Fountain
George Edwin Brumbaugh (Architect), 1957
* fountain
* Center of Washington Square. South of 7th and Walnut.
* 39.947050,-75.152310 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+findagrave.com's George Edwin Brumbaugh page



Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Jean-Antoine Houdon, 1792 (original marble, copy installed 1957)
* Statue of George Washington
* standing person, cane
* Copied from the original marble by Houdon in the state capitol at Richmond by special permission of the General Assembly of Virginia. An eternal flame in front of the tomb, and the flags of the 13 original colonies fly along the walk leading up to it. The memorial was completed in 1957.
* inscription:
wall:
Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness.
In unmarked graves within this square lie thousands of unknown soldiers of Washington's army who died of wounds and sickness during the revolutionary war.
The independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint councils and joint efforts of common dangers, sufferings, and success.
- Washington's farewell address, Sept. 17, 1796.
statue:
In memory of John Mclheiny
tomb:
Under this stone rests a soldier of Washington's Army who died to give you liberty
plaque:
The eternal flame dedicated in 1976 by Continental Bank in memory of those who fought and gave their lives that we might celebrate our 200th anniversary as a free people.
 * Tomb. West side of Washington Square. South of 7th and Walnut.
* 39.947100,-75.152750 [map] [nearby]
* Exhibits: War
* See also:
+ushistory.org page for this piece
+wikipedia.org's Jean-Antoine Houdon page
+wikipedia.org's George Washington page



N.W. Ayer Building
J. Wallace Kelly, Raphael Sabatini, 1929
* big and small standing people, seated people, partial people, groups of people, furniture, sun, swords, books, publishing equipment, implications of building interiors, zodiac signs, ram, crab, centaur
* There are two large figures on each of the four corners of the building that are best seen from a block away.
* Doors and upper walls. 210 West Washington Square (West side of 7th, South of Walnut).
* 39.947250,-75.153400 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+michenermuseum.org's J. Wallace Kelly Page
+askart.com's Raphael Sabatini page



Farm Journal Building Entrance
Bunting and Shrigley (Architects), 1912
* cornucopia, food
* Entrance. West side of 7th, South of Locust.
* 39.946375,-75.153550 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org's page for the building
+philadelphiabuildings.org's Bunting and Shrigley page



Light Fixtures
Gerald Allen, Kent Bloomer, 1984
* abstract flower-like light fixtures
* Entrance. South side of Locust, West of 7th.
* 39.946785,-75.153700 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+bloomerstudio.com



Major
Charles Fahlen, 1982
* stacked abstract forms
* Northwest corner, 8th and Locust.
* 39.947075,-75.154575 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+charlesfahlen.com



Greek Revival Fence
John Haviland (Architect), 1822
* Faces of Dionysus
* small faces, abstract ironwork
* Gate and fence. Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral. West side of 8th between Spruce and Locust.
* 39.946300,-75.154725 [map] [nearby]
* Exhibits: Religious
* See also:
+phillyhistory.org article which mentions the building
+wikipedia.org's John Haviland page
+wikipedia.org's Dionysus page



Good Samaritan
* people standing, sitting, donkey, suggestion of a building, hospital seal
* inscription: Take care of him and I will repay thee.
 * Wall. Pennsylvania Hospital. South side of Spruce between 8th and 9th.
* 39.945750,-75.155600 [map] [nearby]
* Exhibits: Medical, Religious, Unidentified



743 Spruce Gates
Elizabeth Osborne, 1978
* abstract ironwork
* The Smithsonian lists Elizabeth Osborne (1936-) as the sculptor of these gates. I am assuming this was a one off of the Philadelphia painter Elizabeth Osborne, born 1936, but she is nowhere else listed as a sculptor.
* Gates. Pennsylvania Hospital. East side of 8th, North of Spruce and South side of Manning, East of 8th.
* 39.946150,-75.154500 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+wikipedia.org's Elizabeth Osborne page



Lion Head Trough
1869 (relocated 1916)
* drinking fountain, lion head
* South side of Washington Square. 7th South of Locust.
* 39.946250,-75.152500 [map] [nearby]



600 S. Washington Square Gates
Samuel Yellin, 1925
* abstract ironwork
* Gate. South Wasthington Square, West of 6th.
* 39.946069,-75.151677 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.orgs's Samuel Yellin page
+samuelyellin.com



Mary
* statue of Mary
* small standing person, head covering, crucifix, rose
* Visible through a gate at the other end of an alley
* Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church. North side of Spruce, West of 6th.
* 39.945650,-75.152025 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+wikipedia.org's Mary, mother of Jesus page



A Part / Apart
James Fuhrman, 2008
* abstract representation of an idea
* The inscription is on the bands between the panels, which had not yet been installed when the first picture was taken
* inscription:
A Part and Apart
One Person, One House, One Block
One City
So Many People
So Much To Learn
So Much To Unlearn
6,000 Million
Connected / Separate
 * Wall. West side of 7th, South of Delancey.
* 39.944660,-75.153490 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+jfuhrman.com



Green Man
Joseph A. Praissman (Architect), 1967
* face, plants
* Some time between 1967 and 1987 this piece was painted white, and some time between 1999 and 2021 most of the white paint was removed. The first two pictures are from December, 2021. The third picture is with the white paint. I do not know whether the teeth and the whites of the eyes were originally white or not. Whether it meets the technical definition of a Green Man is left as an exercise for the reader.
* Wall. East side of 7th between Pine and Addison.
* 39.943900,-75.153450 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+philadelphiabuildings.org's page for the building
+wikipedia.org's Green Man article
+philadelphiabuildings.org's Joseph A. Praissman page



William Penn
John Cheere, 1774 (approximate, presented 1804)
* Statue of William Penn
* standing person wearing a hat, scroll
* Visible at a distance through the fence. Artist listing is documented as an attribution.
* inscription: John Penn A.D. 1804
 * On the grounds of Pennsylvania Hospital. North side of Pine between 8th and 9th.
* 39.944650,-75.155825 [map] [nearby]
* See also:
+uphs.upenn.edu page about this piece
+wikipedia.org's John Cheere page
+wikipedia.org's William Penn page


Possible trip extension:Gayborhood (West on Pine to 11th)
Possible trip extension:Jefferson Center City Campus (West to 9th and one block North to Spruce)

See Also

+ushistory.org's Washington Square page
+Independence National Historical Park
+wikipedia.org's Independence Hall page
+wikipedia.org's Penn Mutual page
+pennmedicine.org's Pennsylvania Hospital page
+saintgeorgecathedral.org
+wikipedia.org's Washington Square page
+nps.gov's Cultural Landscape Report for Washington Square (449 page pdf)