LPC Launches Seneca Village Unearthed

Seneca Village, located in what is now Central Park, was once the largest community of free African-American landowners.

Through this online exhibit and collection, the general public will for the first time have access to nearly 300 artifacts and get a glimpse of what life was like for Seneca villagers in the mid-19th century

NEW YORK – Today, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) announced the launch of Seneca Village Unearthed, an online exhibit and collection of artifacts from what was once New York City's largest community of free African-American landowners. Seneca Village was located in what is now Central Park, a scenic landmark. Through this online exhibit and collection, the general public will for the first time have access to nearly 300 artifacts and get a glimpse of what life was like for Seneca villagers in the mid-19th century.

This is part of LPC's continuing efforts to make the city's archaeological research and artifacts from across the city available to as wide an audience as possible. In addition to housing the artifacts at its NYC Archaeological Repository: The Nan A. Rothschild Center, LPC archaeology staff photographed the objects and digitized the catalogue of artifacts to create this online collection. 

"We are delighted that for the first time members of the public will have access to this highly significant archaeological collection, which unearths the stories of the people who lived in this once vibrant African-American community," said Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Sarah Carroll. "LPC is seeking to share the story of all New Yorkers in all aspects of our work, and by making resources like these available we can ensure everyone can learn about this significant part of our past."

"We are thrilled about the launch of the Seneca Village Unearthed online exhibit by the Landmark Preservation Commission. It is a great way to honor the inhabitants that once called Central Park their home, and is a testament to the historical significance that can be found in parkland throughout the city," said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP. "The history that has been left behind here tells a riveting story about the African American and immigrant experience in New York City, and we are glad that now countless people will have access to it."

In mid-19th-century New York, Seneca Village was the largest community of free African-American property owners. The village was founded in the 1820s in what was then a rural area north of the city's center located today between 82nd and 89th Street and Central Park West and the Great Lawn. Even after slavery ended in New York State in 1827, people of African ancestry found it difficult to buy land due to housing codes and restrictive covenants. Seneca Village, which did not have these restrictions, afforded them the opportunity to own land. The village's location, far removed from the city, may have also brought some relief for its residents from the persistent discrimination and oppression they faced. By 1855, this predominantly African-American community was a vibrant, middle-class, multi-ethnic settlement with at least 220 residents that included Irish and German immigrants in addition to the predominant African-American population, three churches, a school, planting fields and orchards. Seneca Village was displaced in 18576 when the City of New York acquired its land through eminent domain to create Central Park.

Archaeology has been vital in uncovering the remaining traces of this community. Little was known until a series of scholars began to study it in the 1990s, including the Seneca Village Project that explored the village's material remains through archaeology. LPC's online collection and exhibit focus on the artifacts found as part of Seneca Village Project in 2011, when archaeologists found the stone foundation of the Charlotte and William Godfrey Wilson house and the original ground surface that Seneca Villagers walked upon. The exhibit highlights artifacts that belonged to the Wilson family, which include dishes from their table and some of their personal objects. These objects help establish what life was really like for the middle-class African-American family in Seneca Village, which is quite different from how this community was portrayed in the newspapers during the eminent domain process that depicted villagers living in squalid conditions.

"I am thrilled that Seneca Village, Unearthed will be launched online," said Council Member Adrienne Adams, Chair of the Subcommittee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Dispositions. "African American history is important to all Americans and the story of this community is crucial to our legacy. With this online exhibit, the Seneca Village Project can be recognized and appreciated by the world."

"The story of our City cannot be told without the African-American community, and a historically significant part of that is Seneca Village and the forced removal of families from this entire neighborhood," said Council Member I. Daneek Miller, Co-Chair of the Black, Latino/a, and Asian Caucus. "This online exhibit will illustrate the lives of New York City's first community of free African-Americans in a way that is accessible to all and targets a vast audience. It also serves as an important reminder of the struggles they faced as their homes were destroyed, and their entire community was displaced. We are thankful for the Landmarks Preservation Commission's work in this important effort."

"We hope that people will be drawn to the remaining traces of what was once a vital 19th-century African-American community and from them better understand what life would have been like for Seneca Villagers," said Amanda Sutphin, Director of Archaeology of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. "We welcome scholars to study this collection and reveal more about the stories of Seneca Village."  

"We are very pleased that the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission is able to put the Seneca Village material online at the New York Archaeological Repository's website," said Nan Rothschild, Co-Director of the Seneca Village Project. "The Seneca Village Project has been in existence for 20 years and new forms of interpretation are emerging on a continuing basis. It has always been a major part of the Project to makes its findings accessible to the general public and this website enhances that goal."

"The artifacts found in 2011 provide a tangible connection to the residents of Seneca Village, and give us a sense of what life was like there," said Marie Warsh, Historian for the Central Park Conservancy. "Being able to view and explore this invaluable historic material will be a great benefit to those seeking to learn about this extraordinary community. This digital exhibit complements the Conservancy's outdoor exhibition of interpretative signs about Seneca Village currently on view in Central Park."

About the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC)

The Landmarks Preservation Commission is the mayoral agency responsible for protecting and preserving New York City's architecturally, historically and culturally significant buildings and sites. Since its creation in 1965, LPC has granted landmark status to more than 36,000 buildings and sites, including 1,439 individual landmarks, 120 interior landmarks, 11 scenic landmarks, and 149 historic districts and extensions in all five boroughs. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/landmarks and connect with us via www.facebook.com/NYCLandmarks and www.twitter.com/nyclandmarks.

The New York City Archaeological Repository: The Nan A. Rothschild Center is a project of LPC's Archaeology Department. Opened in 2014, the purpose of the Repository is to curate the City of New York's archaeological collections and to make them accessible to archaeologists, researchers, teachers, students, and the public. For more information, visit http://archaeology.cityofnewyork.us/.