Was the gorgeous elm tree at the northwest corner of Washington Square Park (at left in 1936) used for public executions?

It's a legend passed down over the years.

On one hand, a Parks Department web link seems to imply that people were indeed hanged from the 110-foot tree, estimated to be at least 300 years old.

"The English elm (Ulmus procera) at the corner of Waverly Place and MacDougal Street acquired its reputation during the American Revolutionary War," the site explains.