Unearthing Seneca Village: A 19th-Century Free Black Community Before Central Park

We are thrilled to introduce the Central Park Conservancy’s new Historian, Dr. Jessica MacLean, who will offer her fascinating lecture on Seneca Village’s excavation to our members at the Protector ($250) level and above!

Before Central Park existed, the landscape between approximately West 82nd and 89th Streets and Central Park West was home to Seneca Village, a predominantly Black community settled in 1825. With three churches, a school, and approximately 225 residents, it was a flourishing community with high rates of property ownership when the City acquired the land for Central Park through eminent domain in 1857 and erased Seneca Village from the landscape.

Join Jessica on the 200th anniversary of Seneca Village’s settlement. You’ll learn about the story of the village and the ongoing research that has informed our understanding of its residents, their daily lives, and eventual displacement.

To register, please email [email protected].