Central Park Was Once Seneca Village, Home to a Thriving Free Black Community - Atlas Obscura
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
  • Trips
    • Upcoming Trips
    • All Trips Trips Blog
    Get the Atlas Obscura book
    Shop Now »

    Upcoming Trips

    View All Trips »

    Iceland in Summer: Journey Through a Fabled Land

    Rewilding: Tracking Wolves in the Forests of Sweden

    Silk Road Cities of Central Asia

    View from Pope Luna's Castle, Peniscola

    Small Wonders and Good Eats Along Spain's Orange Blossom Coast

  • Experiences

    Upcoming Experiences

    View All Experiences »
    Members only

    Brick Bending: An "Illegal" Lego Workshop

    Members only

    Monster of the Month w/ Colin Dickey: Night Hags

    Members only

    More than Marbling: An Introduction to Modern Ebru w/ Garip Ay

    Members only

    The AO Challenge: A Game of Curious Missions

    Members only

    Making Edible Candles w/ Jen Monroe

  • Courses

    Upcoming Courses

    View All Courses »

    How We Dream: The Science, History & Future of Dreaming With Sidarta Ribeiro

    Tiny Ecosystems: Making Terrariums With the Terrorium Shop

    How to Read a Landscape: Botany & Ecology With Annie Novak

    Playing Ancient Games: History & Mythology With John Bucher

    The Truth About Sharks With Melissa Cristina Márquez

  • Places
    • Top Destinations
    • Latest Places
    • Most Popular Places
    • Random Place
    • Lists
    • Itineraries
    • Add a Place
    • DOWNLOAD THE iOS APP Download on the Apple App Store

    Latest Places

    View All Places »
    'Ring O' Roses'
    Dundee, Scotland

    'Ring O' Roses'

    56.4647, -2.9666
    A fissure.
    Lee Vining, California

    Black Point Fissures by Mono Lake

    38.0271, -119.0847
    Wall of Frogs
    Santa Barbara, California

    'Wall of Frogs'

    34.4386, -119.6971
    Commodore Matthew Perry Monument
    Newport, Rhode Island

    Commodore Matthew Perry Monument

    41.4858, -71.3100

    Top Destinations

    View All Destinations »

    Countries

    • Australia
    • Canada
    • China
    • France
    • Germany
    • India
    • Italy
    • Japan

    Cities

    • Amsterdam
    • Barcelona
    • Beijing
    • Berlin
    • Boston
    • Budapest
    • Chicago
    • London
    • Los Angeles
    • Mexico City
    • Montreal
    • Moscow
    • New Orleans
    • New York City
    • Paris
    • Philadelphia
    • Rome
    • San Francisco
    • Seattle
    • Stockholm
    • Tokyo
    • Toronto
    • Vienna
    • Washington, D.C.
  • Foods

    Latest Places to Eat & Drink

    View All Places to Eat »
    Robert Penney Sculpture

    Robert Penney Bakery Sculpture

     The famous recipe.

    The Menster Christmas Cookie Gravestone

     A guide speaking about Estonian tea traditions.

    Samovar House

    Sirocco

     Museum of Hangovers from outside

    Muzej Mamurluka (Museum of Hangovers)
  • Stories

    Most Recent Stories

    View All Stories »

    Podcast: Amir Siraj and the Interstellar Object

     Barry Enderwick in his kitchen.

    Meet the Man Reviewing Historical Sandwiches on TikTok

    In Egypt's ‘Land of Death,’ Dinosaurs Were Supersized—and Hungry

     Koji-cured wild sockeye salmon at a restaurant in Vancouver, Canada.

    130-Year-Old Menus Show How Climate Change Is Already Changing What We Eat

    Podcast: House the Giants Built
  • Sign In Join
  • Sign In
    Join
What's near me?

Central Park Was Once Seneca Village, Home to a Thriving Free Black Community

A graphic history of the community displaced for the vast public park in 1857.

by Lucas Adams December 5, 2016
Central Park Was Once Seneca Village, Home to a Thriving Free Black Community
Read next

Listen to the Story of Tenzing Norgay, Who Stood on Top of the World

In the third episode of our new podcast Horizon Line, we recount the tale of the man whose personal Everest was, well, Mount Everest.
Sponsored by Filson
central parkplaces you can no longer goslaveryblack historyvisual
Using an ad blocker?

We depend on ad revenue to craft and curate stories about the world’s hidden wonders. Consider supporting our work by becoming a member for as little as $5 a month.

Support Us
Keep Exploring
culture

Inside America's Premier Black Rodeo, A Celebration of Cowboy Culture

A photographer captures perseverance and pride over a decade of the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo.
Gemma Tarlach June 28, 2022
statues

Elizabeth Freeman Demanded Her Freedom—and Helped End Slavery in Massachusetts

A monument to the formerly enslaved woman will soon stand in the town she called home.
Amy Crawford March 3, 2022
museums

A Revived Museum Presents the Full History of Black America

America's Black Holocaust Museum reopens in the historic hub of Milwaukee's African American community.
Beck Salgado February 24, 2022
slavery

For Enslaved Cooks, Persimmon Beer Combined Ingenuity and Joy

A conversation with Michael Twitty about the powerful history behind a centuries-old beverage.
Diana Hubbell November 12, 2021
Want to see fewer ads? Become a Member.
From Around the Web
THE GASTRO OBSCURA BOOK
Taste the World!
An eye-opening journey through the history, culture, and places of the culinary world. Order Now
Gastro Obscura Book

See Fewer Ads

Become an Atlas Obscura member and experience far fewer ads and no pop-ups.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Thanks for subscribing! View all newsletters »

Follow Us

Get the app

Download on the Apple App Store

Places

  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place

Editorial

  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters

Trips

  • All Trips
  • Trips Blog
  • Art & Culture Trips
  • Food Trips
  • Hidden City Trips
  • History Trips
  • Photography Trips
  • Wildlife & Nature Trips
  • FAQ

Experiences

  • Experiences
  • Online Courses
  • Online Experience FAQ
  • Online Course FAQ

Community

  • Membership
  • Travel Forum
  • Latest Posts
  • Top Posts
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Product Blog

Company

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
  • Work With Us
  • Advertising
  • Press
  • Unique Gifts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
© 2022 Atlas Obscura. All rights reserved.

Thanks for sharing!

Follow us on Twitter to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders.

Like us on Facebook to get the latest on the world's hidden wonders.

Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook

Want a Free Book?

Sign up for our newsletter and enter to win the second edition of our book, Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders.
No Thanks Visit AtlasObscura.com
Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders

Stay in Touch!

Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day.
Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Follow Us on Instagram No Thanks Visit AtlasObscura.com
No purchase necessary. Winner will be selected at random on 08/01/2022. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Offer subject to change without notice. See contest rules for full details.

Add Some Wonder to Your Inbox

Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you.
No Thanks

We'd Like You to Like Us

Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed.
No Thanks
aoc-full-screen aoc-heart-solid aoc-compass aoc-flipboard aoc-globe aoc-pocket aoc-share aoc-cancel aoc-video aoc-building aoc-clock aoc-clipboard aoc-help aoc-arrow-right aoc-arrow-left aoc-ticket aoc-place-entry aoc-facebook aoc-instagram aoc-reddit aoc-rss aoc-twitter aoc-accommodation aoc-activity-level aoc-add-a-photo aoc-add-box aoc-add-shape aoc-arrow-forward aoc-been-here aoc-chat-bubbles aoc-close aoc-expand-more aoc-expand-less aoc-forum-flag aoc-group-size aoc-heart-outline aoc-heart-solid aoc-home aoc-important aoc-knife-fork aoc-library-books aoc-link aoc-list-circle-bullets aoc-list aoc-location-add aoc-location aoc-mail aoc-map aoc-menu aoc-more-horizontal aoc-my-location aoc-near-me aoc-notifications-alert aoc-notifications-mentions aoc-notifications-muted aoc-notifications-tracking aoc-open-in-new aoc-pencil aoc-person aoc-pinned aoc-plane-takeoff aoc-plane passport-plane aoc-print aoc-reply aoc-search aoc-shuffle aoc-star aoc-subject aoc-trip-style aoc-unpinned aoc-send aoc-phone aoc-apps aoc-lock aoc-verified