The Village Displaced by Central Park (1857)
The Village Displaced by Central Park (1857)
Before Central Park, Seneca Village was home to a community of Black New Yorkers and immigrant families. Its residents were displaced when the park was created.
The story behind the scene
Free Black New Yorkers began buying land here in 1825. Irish immigrants and a smaller number of people of German descent later joined the community.
By 1855, about 225 people lived in the village. It had homes, churches and a school. Property ownership provided a measure of independence, and qualifying Black male landowners could meet New York’s property requirement for voting.
The city acquired the land through eminent domain for Central Park. Property owners received compensation, but residents lost their community and the remaining households had to leave in 1857.
What the map shows
The image is a detail of Egbert Viele’s 1856 survey showing Seneca Village. It is a historical map, not a photograph. It records the settlement before the park changed the land around it.
Why this place matters
The map places homes and institutions where visitors now see parkland. Archaeology and written records add the histories of the people who occupied those sites.
Map: detail of Egbert Viele’s 1856 survey, highlighting Seneca Village. Public domain, via the National Park Service. This is a historical map, not a photograph of the village.
Sources: Central Park Conservancy, Seneca Village History; Columbia University, Seneca Village Project.