Founders’ Day: 200th Anniversary of Seneca Village

200 years ago, on September 17, 1825, congregant Andrew Williams and the trustees of the AME Zion Church were among the first to purchase land in the area between West 82nd and 89th Streets, which would become Seneca Village.

On Sunday, September 14, join the Central Park Conservancy for a music-filled service at the historic AME Zion Church in Harlem—the first Black church in New York City—to honor this significant anniversary (in collaboration with the James L. Varick Community Center, Inc.). Through the sermon, live music, and a conversation with historians, discover the communal roots of this thriving, predominantly African-American 19th-century community.

Service will begin at 11:00 AM, followed by a discussion between AME Zion Church leaders and a Seneca Village historian. Members of the Institute for the Exploration of Seneca Village History and the Envisioning Seneca Village team will also be present to answer questions about their research. Light refreshments will be available after service.

Event Schedule

• Church Service: 11:00 AM
• Refreshments / Open House: 12:30 PM–1:00 PM
  • Dabney N. Montgomery Heritage Center (AME Zion History Museum)
  • Institute for the Exploration of Seneca Village History
  • Envisioning Seneca Village
• Discussion: 1:00 PM

This event is part of Seneca Village: Toward a Permanent Commemoration, an ongoing program series funded by the Mellon Foundation. This series will culminate in a community-informed framework guiding the future design of a permanent commemoration of Seneca Village in Central Park.

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