Jefferson Market Garden is on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich Village. It is at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and West 10th Street. During the early 19th century there was an open farmer’s market at the location. The garden was named after this market, as well as Thomas Jefferson. From 1833 to 1873 there was a jailhouse at this location, as well as a police court and firehouse. In 1873 the jail was torn down. In 1877, the location became the home of Jefferson Prison, which was right next door to the Third Judicial District Courthouse. Architects Frederick Clarke Withers and Calvert Vaux designed the two buildings in the American Gothic style. In 1927 the courthouse survived the Jefferson Market’s demolition and the site became home to a branch of the New York Public Library. The site that is now the Jefferson Market Garden was home to the Jefferson Market Prison from 1931 to 1971. It was known at the time as the New York Women’s House of Detention. Recently while I was at the garden a woman volunteering there told me she was growing up when the prison was still there and she remembers seeing the women looking out the windows.
During the 60’s the City was thinking of tearing down the courthouse. The community gathered and requested that the courthouse be used for a local library and then asked for the prison to be demolished instead. The general consensus in the community was that they wanted a garden at the location. In the spring of 1975 the first flowers bloomed and the garden became a haven for the community.
The garden is open to the general public Tuesday through Sunday from April to October, weather permitting. The garden is run by a group of volunteers. People are welcome to come in for a stroll, take pictures of the flowers, sit and read, bird watch, or gather with friends in the garden. There is a koi fish pond to sit near and relax. There are field trips scheduled for school children throughout the gardening season. In the fall the garden hosts a Harvest Festival for children.
If you are in the area, or traveling from out of town, the Jefferson Market Garden is a lovely place to stop and enjoy the greenery.
Drawing of the library by Nick Golebieweski from Flickr
All photos (except the Flickr drawing, which links to its source) and written material by Marilyn Lavender. © Marilyn Lavender, 2016. “All rights reserved.”