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Public Square, Watertown, NY.

Public Square is an open mall that lies in the center of Watertown, NY. The square is a designated historic site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Public Square's North Side. The modern office building on the left blends in with the 19th century buildings to its right.

The square is rectangular in shape. Buildings line all four sides of the square, while a large oval park sits in its center. A one way traffic pattern circles the park. Seven of Watertown's main streets intersect at the square, making it a heavy traffic destination for motorists.

While the square boasts some modern architecture, its main character is defined by the numerous 19th century buildings that still stand today. In all of its buildings, the square is host to a multitude of shops, restaurants, business offices, churches and apartment houses, making it a major shopping and business destination in the city.

Public Square's East Side circa 1865.

A panoramic view of Public Square circa 1909.

Watertown's first settlers built their homesteads on what is now the square's West End in 1800. In 1805, several of these settlers donated the land that the square now occupies for public use. This helped to develop the square as Watertown's main business district. The current layout of the square and its surrounding streets developed during this time.

In 1849, most of Public Square and three of its adjacent streets were destroyed by fire. The square was immediately rebuilt, and several buildings erected during the rebuilding still stand today. During the rebuilding of the 1850's, three parks were laid at the square's center, with a fountain inside the center park. During Watertown's industrial boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Public Square became the heart of Watertown's retail, business and social life. In the 1950's, the three parks in the square's center were combined into one large park.

The square's retail and business dominance started declining in the latter half of the 20th century. The urban renewal tendencies of the 1960's and 1970's saw the demolition of some of the square's historic structures, while declining industry hurt Watertown's once prospering economy. The 1980's saw the expansion of nearby Fort Drum, New York. While the growing army base brought an economic boom to the city, the square continued to suffer as modern shopping malls and retail chains were built on the city's west side. Public Square's days as the city's main retail destination were at an end. The square continued its slow decline over the next 20 years.

The demolition of Public Square's decaying Iron Block buildings was a part of the square's ongoing redevelopment.

The beginning of the 21st century saw a reversal in attitudes towards Public Square. A resurgance of pride in the square and its role in Watertown's history saw civic and business leaders take a more proactive role in its redevelopment. Some decaying structures that were beyond repair were demolished. Existing buildings were refurbished and new businesses moved in. In 2006, this new economic development was coupled with a multi-million dollar streetscape project which will reinforce the square's infrastructure, as well as beautify its roads, walkways and landscaping. This project is scheduled for completion in 2007.

The Paddock Arcade

Public Square has been the sight of many notable people, buildings and inventions.

• Public Square is home to the Paddock Arcade. Built in 1850, it boasts to be the oldest, continuously operating covered mall in the United States, and is a national historic landmark.

• Abolitionist Frederick Douglass spoke at Washington Hall and was a guest at the square's renowned Woodruff Hotel in the 1850's. He is noted for refusing to oblige hotel managers, who wanted him to use back entrances and not eat in the hotel's public dining room.

• Frank W. Woolworth worked as a clerk in Smith and Moore's Department store in the 1870's. He came up with the idea of setting up a table of discount merchandise, fixing the items at five and ten cents apiece. So successful was his idea that he was inspired to start his own store, leading to the Woolworth chain of department stores.

• Julius Samann invented the Little Trees car freshener in the Electric Building on Public Square in the 1950's. These car air fresheners today are world famous, and Car Freshener Corporation is still a major employer in Watertown and several other cities around the United States.

• Watertown, New York
• Paddock Arcade
• Town square

• City of Watertown
• Watertown Downtown Business Asociation
• National Register Historic Places, Jefferson County, New York