Seneca Village: Exploring the History of an African American Community

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of Seneca Village, a historically significant African American community that existed in what is now Central Park in New York City. It details the village's establishment in 1825, its growth as a thriving community with its own schools, churches, and cemeteries, and the factors that contributed to its success, including land ownership and voting rights. The essay examines the community's eventual displacement to make way for the construction of Central Park, highlighting the controversial use of eminent domain and the resistance of the villagers. It explores the impact of gentrification and the rediscovery of Seneca Village through archaeological investigations, revealing insights into the daily lives of its residents. The essay also explores the broader context of urban development, racial dynamics, and the importance of historical memory, emphasizing the need to remember the past to avoid repeating past mistakes. The essay concludes with a call to action for New Yorkers, particularly the most vulnerable, to actively engage in shaping their city's future and preventing the erasure of historical communities.

The Story of Seneca Village
Synopsis
Who wouldn't want to live in a big park city? In short, in one way or another, parks represent the
city. People recognize that the contribution parks enhance personal and environmental health in
many fields including urban planning. With urban gentrification becoming more frequent,
business leaders and analysts began to wonder how the construction of new parks impacts
gentrification. More participation would lead to results. As long as the majority of the city, by
public referendums or municipal ordinances, supports and participates in the planning process,
the park is good for the community. Intended or unintended exclusion of local feedback is better
defined as gentrification.
Central Park is a renowned NYC park that attracts almost 40 million visitors annually. Although
many believe that the park is special, few know that it is hunted by a long and violent history.
The Central Park was once a significant African-American community, known as Seneca
Village, five of the 843 acres. Detroit was established in 1807 by African descendants, but it
became solid and prosperous over the years for many members of the multicultural community.
In the late 1800s, a generation lived in Seneca Village in schools, churches and cemeteries.
It cannot be stressed enough that in our political sphere the society has the greatest importance.
The New York State Constitution of the 1821st century placed an obligation on black men to
vote. In New York, as many as one in two persons saw the life of Seneca Village as the
fulfillment of US values of personal freedom and public duty for the first time. As the city

expanded, Seneca Village's inhabitants were called "illegal settlers." At the end, the city entered
and controlled the property and transformed it into a modern park with an eminent domain. Prior
to 1857, the people of the village of Seneca protested for two years against this decision because
the use of police bludgeons, as stated in the newspaper, had proven successful in "maintaining
the rule of law." Seneca Village had repeatedly attempted to convince the government and New
York City to continue. Eventually, however, it was cleared from all its people and reduced to
scrap. A year later, construction was finished.
The renovation of Seneca Village was not discussed as much as it should have been in the
history of New York City. Similarly, even though less noticeable, gentrification represents a
gradual change in the policies and aspirations of Seneca Village. Gentrification is always
performed out of pure ignorance of people and almost always destructive. Creative paragraph:
The worst thing is a strategy of disempowering poor people and concentrating money in the
hands of already strong people.
If we don't recall the past, we will repeat it. Cities sprout all over the world and city leaders need
to be included in the creation of new parks. Apart from that, reparations and recognition cannot
be made for Seneca Village. The city must continue to improve in order to prevent the lack of
decency. In the other hand, urban ethnic cleansing is an option whether the government officials
or the general public choose. The people of New York, particularly the most vulnerable, must
pick up their game, ladies and gentlemen.

In this scenes we will display in detail the founding of the native village of Seneca, The existence
of a prosperous African American community, the establishment of a central park and the
rediscovery of the village of Seneca.
Seneca native village creation
When Seneca Village was established in 1825, the landowners subdivided their estate into 200
plots. The first three hundred and fifty pairs for $125 were purchased from African-American
shoe repairman Andrew Williams. When an office clerk, Epiphany Davis, bought 12 lots, he
gave her six more. Following the experiment, a group was created. The Whiteheads sold almost
half of their land to black colonists in the 1825-1832 decades. At the time of 1832, there were
about ten houses in the village.
What has happened to the Seneca village and how has it been preserved?
Nobody wants to live in a town with many good public parks? In other words, parks should not
only be entertaining but also supporting the city. In several studies the role of parks in urban
planning has been recognized to improve both personal and environmental health While
gentrification is still lacking in the suburbs, the influence of new parks has become important for
city and experts and experts. The more interested you are, the greater your chances of success. If
most people accept it or not, so long as residents use the plans and participate in municipal
consultations, either by voting or by attending public meetings, a park is a community asset.
Depending on your opinion, intentional or unplanned local input or unintentional gentrification is
defined as unplanned

Central Park is a renowned New York City public park with over 40 million visitors per year.
While it is generally considered to be unique, it is well known that the park has a sordid history
that lasts several years. Five of Central Park's 843 acres were once the flowering black village of
Seneca, which is now known as the Seneca Village. Most people of African descent came into
existence in Detroit and grew up and had no ties to their cultures, which resulted in Detroit
becoming just another sort of community, losing its people. By the end of the end of the 1800s,
the cemetery was first completed in their homes and then in their places of worship and finally in
their schools.
Many people know how important a cultural and social member is: it cannot sufficiently be
emphasized: our world is a community. In the United States, the Constitution of early 1800
introduced property requirements for black men to vote in southern states. Few (and very many)
were convinced that previously they thought they were one; most (or believed) that their equality
and independence from corporate rules and commitments was an American ideal they had
accomplished. Since the city boundaries had already gone further, the residents of the village of
Seneca were seen as "illegitimate settlers." Land use laws were used to allow the city to buy and
to transform a private property into a public park where the use of eminent areas was made, at
the residents' request. Over the past two years, the officials at the Seneca Village Citizens
strongly opposed the decision, since newspapers have claimed that the use of force-bludgeons
helped "preserve order" the government of officials two years ago. Seneca Village tried to
convince New York City and the government to make it official for a long time. When anyone
wanted to rebuild it, the house was already empty and reduced to ruins. It was not yet extended
one year after the completion of the building.

While in history books Seneca Village was scarcely listed, the refurbishment was one of the most
important in the history of production in New York City. The step towards mixed income and
mixed zoning can also be viewed as a slow mitigation of Seneca Village policy and objectives.
The overwhelming majority of gentrification is done whatever the people in the area, and it is
really poor. Creating your own ideas in an individual's worst moments is an act of social and
economic deprivation that allows those who are already in control to expand them further.
We will make the same mistakes if we can't recall the past. New parks appear all over the place
and to find them is really important for the community. While they might have to go to the
residents of Seneca Town, Seneca Village doesn't have to return. Without reform, decency can
never prevail, inevitably the city will be ruined. In contrast, the decision of the rulers or the
people is ethnical cleansing in the region. The people of New York, especially the most
vulnerable, must make their games more intense if they want a brighter future.
In this example, we will clarify and discuss Seneca's village structure, the growth of the African
American Community and park building.
Establishment of the village of Seneca
When the Seneca Village was established in 1825, the estate was divided into 200 parcels by
landowners. Andrew Williams, the African-American shoe repairer, purchased the first 350 pairs
for $125. After they bought 12 lots, they gave Epiphany Davis, a shopkeeper for the department,
six lots more. The experiment resulted in the development of a society. The Whiteheads sold

about half their land to black settlers about 1825 and 1832. In 1832, there were approximately 10
houses in the village.
The vibrant Afro-American neighborhood Seneca Village enabled residents to move away from
the crowded downtown area to offer an alternative to the culture of African Americans. While
the State abolished slavery in 1827, most slaves in New York had no luxury. The retreat of
Seneca Village was possibly an escape from the oppressive weather and an escape from
unhealthy and stressful urban life. It would have provided in and out of the house more rooms.
Seneca Village's inhabitants did better than any of the area's black residents. Half of them
purchased their own homes by that year, with just 10 percent unemployed. Apart from voting,
African Americans in New York City have traditionally gained other rights relating only to land
ownership, including the right to take office in politics. In 1821, an Afro-American man's worth
was at least 250 dollars in New York City and he owned land for 3 years. In 1845, the village of
Seneca had 100 Blacks, ten of whom lived there.
Many park dwellers were considered ordinary people who lived in shanties on the estate in the
mid-19th century because of the poor condition of their properties. Only a handful of the
wealthiest people live in two-story homes, while most people live in shacks. They worked
primarily as miners and in census-based services for Black people. The majority of children from
Seneca Village also attended kindergarten, according to estimates.
Establishing a key kit

Ten years before the Golden Gate Park was opened, the City of San Francisco concentrated on a
new community park for the solution of harmful urban problems and for open green space. In
1853 the state legislature requested that New York City own 775 acres of land in the world's first
public ornamental park between Fifth and Eighth Avenues and 59th Manhattan Streets.
The estate has been taken over by the city with an eminent domain and compensated by the
landowner. In the 1800s this was commonly used to pave the road grid in the region. A total of
1,600 people were evicted in the city. Despite the beautiful payout to the homeowners, several
people disputed the amount and claimed that their property had been undervalued. Finally,
everyone had to leave by 1857. In Seneca Village as many people as possible are checked on the
Sandy Ground in Staten Island and Skunk Hollow in New Jersey.
Seneca village is rediscovered.
Seneca Village has been the topic of several studies in order to gather knowledge about the
villagers' everyday activities. Archeologists from the University of Columbia and the College of
Physicians and Surgeons launched the project in 2011. The iron kettle, a roasting pot, a porcelain
teapot export jar and a tea pot with fabric-bottomed foot are also shown. These items gave us an
insight into the lives of the villagers.
The position of Seneca is like a lot of the local park with rolling hills, rocky outcrops and new
visitors playgrounds. But many don't know that the area has an interested background – from
West 82nd to West 89th Street, near the park. Before the city became Central Park in the first
half of the nineteenth century, the village of Seneca was the home of a mostly African American
population, many of whom had land.

A group of academics and archeologists who were interested in the story of the Seneca Village
founded the Seneca Village Exploration Institute in the 1990s. The aim of the group was to
investigate the village further and discuss ways to commemorate it in an educational context.
The position of Seneca is like a lot of the local park with rolling hills, rocky outcrops and new
visitors playgrounds. But many don't know that the area has an interested background – from
West 82nd to West 89th Street, near the park. Before the city became Central Park in the first
half of the nineteenth century, the village of Seneca was the home of a mostly African American
population, many of whom had land.
A group of academics and archeologists who were interested in the story of the Seneca Village
founded the Seneca Village Exploration Institute in the 1990s. The goal of the group was to
explore the village further and to explore ways to remember it in an educational environment.
They used different techniques, including architectural and archival studies.
2x Seneca Rediscovery 1 Blog Rect
Discover Seneca Village offers visitors to Central Park a new temporary outdoor exhibition,
offering insights into the history of the prepark and highlights decades of research on this
fascinating community.
The newest project to improve awareness of and appreciation for the village's history is the
Discover Seneca Village; the alliance between Central Park Conservancy, the Institute, Hunter

Research and specific community groups. Visiting the Seneca Village exhibit will allow visitors
to learn about the features and the lives of the village.
The village of Seneca has a lot of work to do—but here are some of what we know about the
community's people and their environment and objects.
People People People People
The village of Seneca began in 1825, when Andrew Williams, the African-American shoeshiner,
bought 3 lots. Although the Whiteheads owned farms in the western 1980s and 1990s, they chose
a lot of land. 12 lots and a few lots were purchased from African Methodist Episcopal Zion
Church by Epiphany Davis, the second person to purchase land (AME Zion). From there was
born a party. From 1825 to 1832, the Whiteheads sold approximately half of their property to
other African Americans. In the early 1830s the village had approximately 10 homes.
Seneca rediscovery 2 Blog tall 2
The AME Zion Church in lower Manhattan had first purchased land for burial in the Seneca
Village. The satellite church of the village was later opened in 1853. This image shows a church
in the West Village rather than the Seneca Village Church. Prints and photographs from the
library collection

According to the 1855 census record, the village was composed of approximately 225
inhabitants, comprised of about two-thirds African Americans, one-third Irish immigrants and a
small number of German descendants. One of Manhattan's few African American enclaves
enabled the residents of the Seneca Village to flee from their unhealthy conditions and racism.
Around half of the African Americans living in Seneca owned their houses and turned New York
into a remarkable neighborhood in the 19th century. The buying of property was a way for
African Americans to vote and to become citizens. Many people owned and have been living in
the village for many years say they were more wealthy and healthy than other African Americans
who lived in New York City at the time.
The Conservancy has been working on this critical subject with scholars. Find out more about
Ariel Williams, a descendant of Andrew Williams, a resident in the Seneca Village, and
historians in this video.
The Chamber
The site of the Seneca Village features some of the region's most impressive shapes including a
huge outcrop called the Summit Rock, the highest point in the park. This rock is a distinctive
feature of the area and would have been extremely important in the landscape of Seneca Village,
which is almost impossible for park builders to remove. In the vicinity there is a natural spring
called the Tanner Spring, which is supposed to be the only spring of water in the village.

Sections of Seneca Village landscape were marshy and rocky, but small gardens, woodland, and
hills were also included in their neighborhood. While we have no images of Seneca Village,
pictures from the 1850s show the homes in the area and represent the landscape before the
village became a central park, some of which show us how it looked.
Information from the Greensward Plan presentation
Greensward Plan Detail Board No.5 showing a house spot. This picture gives us an idea of the
buildings in the village of Seneca. The Collection of NYC Municipal Archives
There were three churches in Seneca Village that anchored the African people's religious and
political and social lives. The African Union church (built about 1840) and AME Zion church
(built in 1853) were both satellite sites for downtown churches. The Episcopal Church of St.
Michael, an Upper Western congregation was established in 1849 by all the Churches of Angels,
and Europeans and African Americans were present.
THE PARK
In the 1840s there were many national debates on the effects of urban growth. The city's
population doubled between 1845 and 1855. Some supporters believed that a large open space
offers New Yorkers a place to gather, experience, and enjoy the nature. They also intend on

making a massive public park a unique expression of American democracy while simultaneously
being a cultural attraction which competes with European cities.
The choice of venue for this unprecedented public space was not without controversy. William
Cullen Bryant, the poet and editor of The Evening Post, proposed a private place along the East
River called the "Jones' Woods." Some park advocates submitted that the space of 150 acres was
not enough or sufficiently central when plans for the site were being formed, and others indicated
that the promoters of the site were landowners in the area which benefited from the presence of a
park in financial terms.
The chart is an 1855 sculpture showing a topographical survey of the land of Egbert Viele, the
Land Map of the Central Park, 1855. The Collection of NYC Municipal Archives
The city began to explore a broader region that included the Croton Receiving Reservoir in the
middle of the island. This was a rather robust landscape with many swamps and cliffs, which
made property difficult to cultivate. This area also had several hectares which were already part
of the city and made the effort less expensive. It took about three years for the City to settle in
this central location.
The City has acquired land for Central Park via eminent fields (the government's right to take
private property for public use). Those who owned the land were compensated for their worth