The Washington Square Arch: Stanford White’s Monumental Style

As a collaboration between architects and craftsmen, the monumental arch commemorated the centennial of Washington’s inauguration.

Washington Square Arch in New York City, circa 1901. Library of Congress. Public Domain

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration, a local businessman in New York came up with a unique idea. William Rhinelander Stewart (1852–1929) commissioned a memorial for the centennial on April 30, 1889.

Stewart sought the services of architect Stanford White (1853–1906) to create a temporary triumphal arch based on the Roman Arch of Titus (circa A.D. 81) and the 19th-century Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile in Paris.