In 1889, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration, a wooden arch was built across lower Fifth Avenue about half a block north of Washington Square. This temporary structure was constructed of plaster of paris and wood, and lit by hundreds of light bulbs. The people of New York liked it so much they commissioned architect Sanford White to build a permanent marble monument, which was completed in 1895. For many, this beautiful triumphant arch, is the single most important symbol of Greenwich Village.
      -The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation .