Seneca Village
Discover Seneca Village through the dedicated work of researchers, archaeologists, and Central Park Conservancy historians and guides.
Before the construction of Central Park in 1858, the landscape along what is now the Park’s perimeter from West 82nd to West 89th Street was the location of Seneca Village. This African-American enclave existed from 1825 to 1857, providing its residents an escape from unhealthy conditions and pervasive racism experienced in downtown Manhattan, as well as an opportunity to build a new community.
When the City acquired the land for Central Park through the process of eminent domain, the residents of Seneca Village were displaced and forgotten. In the 1990s, historians rediscovered the Village, leading to an ongoing project to uncover this extraordinary community.
In recent years, the Conservancy has undertaken a major effort to conduct new research on Seneca Village and also share its history within the physical landscape of the Park.
Celebrating Juneteenth in Seneca Village
News and Updates
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Seneca Village Community Conversation
On June 3 we invited the public to join us for our first Community Conversation. This event offered our friends and neighbors a forum to learn about the history of Seneca Village and current initiatives to amplify the community’s story. -
Outdoor Exhibit
Our outdoor exhibit, “Discover Seneca Village,” shares decades of research and allows visitors to learn about community members in the place where they actually
lived. The series of interpretive signs introduces visitors to this extraordinary community, providing information and marking the locations of homes, churches, gardens, and natural features. -
Seneca Village Tour
The Conservancy’s Seneca Village tour incorporates new research about Seneca Village’s landscape to understand the particular value it offered to African-American New Yorkers seeking refuge from the crowded conditions and racial discrimination prevalent in early 19th-century NYC. -
Afrofuturist Period Room at the Met
A period room inspired by Seneca Village is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. “Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room” imagines the home of a Seneca Village resident, if the community had been allowed to continue. The concept of Afrofuturism, which centers Black creativity and imagination, provides the framework for the installation, which encompasses works of art and objects from various places and time periods. The ongoing exhibition inspires us to imagine Seneca Village’s past—and alternate future.
For press inquiries, please email [email protected].
Discover Seneca Village
Learn about Seneca Village through the following resources compiled by the Central Park Conservancy.
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Research
Artifacts and Archives: The Rediscovery and Research of Seneca Village
Learn about the historical research of this community of predominantly African-Americans, many of whom owned property.
Tags: History
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Research
Guide to Seneca Village Outdoor Exhibit
Explore the history of this area like never before with Discover Seneca Village, an outdoor exhibit of interpretive signage that gives visitors a glimpse into this fascinating community.
Tags: History
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Research
Before Central Park: The Story of Seneca Village
An introduction to Seneca Village, the largest community of free African-American property owners in pre-Civil War New York.
Tags: About the Conservancy / History
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Research
How to Engage with the History of Seneca Village
The current movement for racial justice—which includes elevating Black history, culture, and stories—has sparked a renewed interest in Seneca Village, a community of predominantly African-Americans that existed before the creation of Central Park.
Tags: Tips for Visiting / About the Conservancy
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Research
Research Guide
This guide, curated by the Conservancy’s historian, includes selected research topics and suggestions for further exploration as a companion to the interpretive signs installed in Central Park. -
People
Dishes, Shoes, and Tiles: The Excavation of the Seneca Village Site
Conservancy Historian Marie Warsh speaks with two archaeologists about their experience excavating Seneca Village artifacts and what the items have revealed about this community.
Tags: History / Park Experts
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People
Seneca Village: The Williams Family Legacy
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People
Before Central Park: The Story of Seneca Village
An introduction to Seneca Village, the largest community of free African-American property owners in pre-Civil War New York.
Tags: About the Conservancy / History
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People
How to Engage with the History of Seneca Village
The current movement for racial justice—which includes elevating Black history, culture, and stories—has sparked a renewed interest in Seneca Village, a community of predominantly African-Americans that existed before the creation of Central Park.
Tags: Tips for Visiting / About the Conservancy
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People
New Yorkers on the Significance of Seneca Village
We asked several New Yorkers—some of whom have been involved in the work to research and share Seneca Village’s stories—what this place and history means to them.Tags: Conservancy Staff / History
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Landscape
How the Landscape of Seneca Village Can Reveal its History
The site of Seneca Village in Central Park resembles many other Park landscapes, with rolling hills, winding paths, trees, playgrounds, and rock outcrops.
Tags: Conservancy Staff / Trees / History / Nature Lovers / Park Experts
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Landscape
Guide to Seneca Village Outdoor Exhibit
Explore the history of this area like never before with Discover Seneca Village, an outdoor exhibit of interpretive signage that gives visitors a glimpse into this fascinating community.
Tags: History
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Multimedia
Met Museum
Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room -
Multimedia
Discovery Journal
Kids, ready to travel back in time to learn about the history of Central Park? -
Multimedia
From Seneca Village to Brooklyn: A Conversation
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Research
Seneca Village Unearthed
From the NYC Archaeological Repository, an online artifact collection that helps us to better understand what life was like for Seneca Village residents. -
Press
New York Times
In Search of the Black Utopia -
Press
New York Times
Afrofuturist Room at the Met Redresses a Racial Trauma -
Press
New York Times
The Death of the Black Utopia -
Press
Vox
The Lost Neighborhood Under New York’s Central Park -
Tours
Seneca Village Tour
11:00 amBefore Central Park was built, the area from West 82nd to West 89th Street was home to Seneca Village, the largest community of African-American property owners in New York.
Tags: History
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Tours
Weekly Walk: Seneca Village
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Press
CBS Sunday Morning
Uncovering the History of Seneca Village in New York City -
Press
PBS
Uncovering NYC: New York City’s First Free Black Communities -
People
Finding Joy in a History of Loss: Juneteenth in Central Park's Seneca Village
Andrea Buteau of the Central Park Conservancy and composer/curator Andromeda Turre discuss creating a Juneteenth commemoration that is both a powerful act of somber remembrance and celebratory joy.
Tags: Families / History / Best for Kids / Art Lovers
