Editing Washington Square West (section)

== History ==

=== Washington Square ===

Washington Square was one of the five public squares in William Penn's 1682 plan for Philadelphia. Originally called Southeast Square, it was renamed in 1825 to honor George Washington.

The square served as a potter's field and burial ground during the colonial era. Thousands of Revolutionary War soldiers and victims of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic are buried beneath the park. The '''Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Revolutionary War''' memorializes these fallen.

=== Residential Development ===

The surrounding neighborhood developed in the 18th and 19th centuries as a fashionable residential area. Many Federal and Victorian-era townhouses remain.

=== The Gayborhood ===

Philadelphia's LGBTQ+ community began concentrating in the area around 13th Street in the 1970s. By the 2000s, the '''Gayborhood''' was officially recognized with rainbow street signs and has become a celebrated part of Philadelphia's identity.