The crews were working at Washington Square Park East and Waverly Place when they discovered part of a church burial ground, according to archaelogist Alyssa Loorya. “If we’d known about it, we wouldn’t have dug there”.
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‘It is a little creepy, ‘ one resident told CBS.
“We are always sensitive, knowing that there is so much rich history around”, Williams added.
The findings, just steps from the prestigious New York University had locals in awe. It’s since been identified as the tombstone of James Jackson, an Irish immigrant who died of yellow fever. Washington Square Park has been the scene for numerous archeological findings in recent years.
WCBS reports the vault was found mere steps away from an area that was used as a public burial ground after the Revolutionary War.
The vault, which is about eight feet deep, 15 feet wide and 20 feet long, contained the remains of more than a dozen people. “We don’t want to mess anything up until they conduct more research”, said Williams.
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The workers unwittingly stumbled upon a few long-term tenants of Greenwich Village unearthing a vault with human remains that date to the 19th century while upgrading older water mains under the park, Department of Design and Construction said.
