Greenwich Village townhouse explosion

Quick Facts: Who was Greenwich Village townhouse explosion?

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Greenwich Village townhouse explosion

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The 1970 townhouse explosion was a militant bombing by the Weather Underground in Greenwich Village.

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Origins & Early Life

The Greenwich Village townhouse explosion occurred on March 6, 1970, in New York City, United States. Members of the Weather Underground (Weathermen), an American leftist militant group, were making bombs in the basement of 18 West 11th Street in the Greenwich Village neighborhood, when one of them exploded. The resulting series of three blasts completely destroyed the four-story townhouse and severely damaged those adjacent to it, including the then homes of actor Dustin Hoffman and theater critic Mel Gussow. Three Weathermen—Ted Gold, Diana Oughton and Terry Robbins—were killed in the blast, while two survivors, Kathy Boudin and Cathy Wilkerson, were helped out of the wreckage and subsequently fled. Responding firefighters initially believed the blast to have been an accidental gas explosion, but police suspicions were aroused by the two survivors' apparent disappearances, and by that evening other bombs the Weathermen had built were found.

Career & Major Achievements

They had been meant for several targets: a noncommissioned officers' dance at Fort Dix in South Jersey that night, and the administration building at Columbia University. The unexploded dynamite found in the ruins could have destroyed all the houses on both sides of the block had it detonated in the blast. Robbins and Oughton were in the basement building the bomb intended for Fort Dix, later described as the largest explosive device ever found in Manhattan, when it exploded prematurely; Gold had just returned from running an errand and was killed by the collapse of the building's facade. Boudin and Wilkerson were on the upper floors and survived with only minor injuries. It took nine days of searching to find the explosives and bodies; Oughton and Robbins' were so badly dismembered that they had to be identified through dental records.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The two survivors, already facing assault charges in Chicago for their actions during the Weathermen's Days of Rage there the preceding October, were charged with unlawful possession of dynamite. After their bail in the Chicago case was revoked when they failed to show up for trial shortly after the explosion, Boudin and Wilkerson remained fugitives from justice for a decade. Wilkerson voluntarily surrendered in 1980 and served 11 months in prison on the charge. Boudin eventually was apprehended in 1981 and pleaded guilty to felony murder and robbery in the Brink's case in exchange for a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Robbins was recalled as an inexperienced bombmaker who refused to take any suggestions that might have improved safety and stuck to the way he had been told to build the bombs.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1970: 1970 Milestone — The Greenwich Village townhouse explosion occurred on March 6, 1970, in New York City, United States.
2. 1980: 1980 Milestone — Wilkerson voluntarily surrendered in 1980 and served 11 months in prison on the charge.
3. 1981: 1981 Milestone — Boudin eventually was apprehended in 1981 and pleaded guilty to felony murder and robbery in the Brink's case in exchange for a sentence of 20 years to life in prison.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Greenwich Village townhouse explosion

True or False: “The Weathermen intended for the bomb at 18 West 11th Street to be detonated on March 6, 1970.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The planned targets included a noncommissioned officers' dance at Fort Dix and Columbia University, not necessarily the townhouse itself.

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