The Washington Street Historical Society (WSHS) aims to restore to the Great American Story the forgotten history of the earliest Arabic-speaking community in the United States. Our mission is to foster education and awareness about the history of Arab migration to the lower Washington Street neighborhood of Manhattan, once known as the Syrian Quarter. By working to preserve the few surviving historic buildings on Washington Street, promoting educational activities and events, as well as collaborating with the City of New York to install public art in recognition of the literary legacy of the early community, WSHS aims to highlight Arab immigrant history and how it fits into the New York and wider American experience.
