The land that became the city’s communal playground was home to Manhattan’s first community of African-American property owners – Seneca Village.
Before Harlem was known as the Mecca of the African-American world, Seneca
Village was Manhattan’s first significant community of African- American property owners.
Seneca Village was located between 82nd and 89th Streets at Seventh and Eighth avenues. It existed from 1825 to 1857 as a thriving, self-contained community of African-Americans, German and Irish immigrants and Native-Americans. It had its own school, churches and cemeteries. According to the census counts of 1885, approximately 264 people lived there.
African-Americans, who were tired of the poor living conditions in downtown Manhattan headed uptown to the open air of Seneca Village.
It is not clear how the settlement got its name, but some theories are that Seneca was a derivative of Senegal, a country in West Africa, where many of the people who lived in the village were from. The name could also have been used as a code for the underground railroad or named for Native-Americans.
In 1825, John and Elizabeth Whitehead sold the first piece of land there to a young African-American named Andrew Williams for $125. The Whiteheads later sold plots of land to members of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.
Founded by the Reverend Richard Allen and established in 1801, this was the largest and most prominent African church in the country.
The First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Yorkville laid its cornerstone in Seneca Village in 1853. A box put into the cornerstone contained a Bible, a hymn book, the church’s rules, a letter with the names of its five trustees and copies of the newspapers, The Tribune and The Sun. Its sister church, known as Mother AME Zion, is in Harlem on 137th Street.
Not many records exist, but we do know that the African Union Methodist Church was also in Seneca Village. This church had a school where 17-year-old Catherine Thompson taught the village’s children.
Seneca Village is an important but seldom taught part of African-American history. In addition to being home to the two most significant African churches in the country, the Village gave African-Americans the opportunity to own land.
Land ownership meant suffrage – the right to vote. Actual voting privileges, however, would be a long time coming for African- Americans.
Significantly, those who lived in Seneca Village did not refer to themselves by many of the more derogatory names given to African-Americans. Their use of the word “African” not only honorably described their heritage, but signified their pride.
In 1853, New York State used the power of eminent domain – the taking of private property for public use – to force the residents of Seneca Village out.
Plans were in place to create what is now known as Central Park, which celebrates its 150th birthday this year.
The community was abandoned. No one knows where the residents of Seneca Village resettled.
The next time you visit Central Park, take a walk to the site of Seneca Village at 85th Street and Central Park West and remember that this was the Harlem of its day.
Draw an illustration of your neighbor-hood today and one of how you think it might look in the future.
Look through today’s Post for different places in the city. Write a description of what you think these places might have looked like 100 years ago.
Write an essay about Seneca Village. What do you think it would have been like today?
What would you put in a cornerstone? Make a list of items and write a paragraph on why you think these items are important.
Today’s lesson fulfills the following standards: E1c, E1d, E3d, E4a, E4b, E5a, Social Studies 1E, Art Standard 2.