Woke
Out of context: Reply #58
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Seneca Village, was a predominantly African American community that existed from 1825 until 1857 in an area that now comprises part of Central Park in New York City.
This small community was one of the few areas in mid-19th century New York where African American people could own property. Some of New York's first African American property owners were residents of the village, which also contained a number of churches and a school.
Seneca Village extended from what is now 82nd to 89th Street along what is now the western edge of Central Park. The community was actually quite diverse, with a significant minority of Irish immigrants living alongside the African American majority.
In 1855, the City of New York enacted a law to take the land of Seneca Village through eminent domain, ostensibly to create Central Park. Residents were compensated for their property, but they were forced to relocate and the community was destroyed.
This history was largely forgotten until the late 20th and early 21st centuries, when historians and archeologists began to study Seneca Village and its importance to the cultural and social history of New York. In recent years, efforts have been made to commemorate Seneca Village with a plaque in Central Park, and ongoing archeological work seeks to uncover more about the lives of its inhabitants.