Place History
Central Park has a long history of being the shining star of New York City, however it has a dark history that is not well known. Before Central Park was Central Park, it was Seneca Village. It was a village of freed African Americans that began to be formed in the early 1800s, and the village contained churches, a school, and approximately 225 residents, approximately a third of which were most likely Irish. The African Americans who resided in this village owned their own property and had entered the middle class; this gave them the ability to vote. Many African Americans “fled” to the north part of Manhattan as Lower Manhattan was overcrowded and heavily prejudiced against their African American population. Having a town of “outcasts” made them safe from the racism of that area and helped them avoid racially motived crimes commuted by others. Of the 100 African Americans registered to vote in 1845 in New York, 10 lived in Seneca Village.
There is also evidence that has been uncovered by archeologists there they raised livestock and kept gardens, as well as fished in the Hudson River. Archeologists also uncovered iron tea kettles, roasting pans, a stoneware beer bottles, porcelain imported from China, and shoes with leather soles and fabric tops. This showed that life was very similar to how others lived at the time. The village existed from 1825 to 1857. In 1853 New York used eminent domain to seize the land that Seneca Village was on in order to build some of Central Park. It was painted as a village of shacks and uncivilized in order to gain more support for its destruction. The citizens of Seneca Village were paid for their land, however by many estimates they were severely underpaid, and their land was undervalued. After the village was demolished to build the park, unfortunately the community did not stay together, and they spread throughout New York, which made their history and the ability to track them extremely hard to find.
Central Park was finalized officially May 23rd, 1963, starting construction in 1858, consisting of 843 acres. Of its attractions, it contains over 18,000 trees, woodlands, lakes, biking paths and walking paths, a carriage drive, a bridal path, baseball and soccer fields, a carousel, two skating rinks, a zoo, gardens, monuments, as well as concert and theatre venues. Central Park had had its ups and downs throughout the years, either from economic hardships or mismanagement, however it has always remained a beacon for New Yorkers. In terms of an ecosystem, it has many resident and transient animals, such as the gray squirrel and the Baltimore orioles, respectively. Another purpose for the park was for an urban cooling effect, due to the high diversity in the park it contradicts the high human activity which provides the high level of heat.
Central Park is also quickly becoming a self-sustainable ecosystem, as long as there are volunteers are there to ensure that it is running properly. Since 1980, the Central Park Conservatory has been able to raise 600 million dollars, which allows for the park to continue running. This helps fund new attractions in order to raise public awareness for the park, which keeps their hiking trails and other amenities full of tourists and locals. Many people flock here for the various concert types offered, as well as athletic events.
However, in 2020, COVID-19 swept across the world, which put travel to a halt and kept many New York natives inside. With people unable to leave their homes due to the virus, Central Park sat empty for weeks during the initial period of the virus, as there was a mandatory lockdown. But approximately a month afterword’s, when the weather started to rise to 60ºF, people began to venture out and explore the park again. Since the majority of New York was closed because of the pandemic, this was one of the only things that people could do. Many people flocked to New York’s various parks in masks and swarms. This caused the population of humans in the park to swell. This varied from hospitals using both Central Park and various other smaller parks for recreation for their elderly patients to the development of tent “parks” within Central Park for people to relax in without the need to wear a mask. Even with this significant increase in people purposefully going to Central Park to escape the monotony of remaining inside to be safe, the city was much quieter than it previously had been. There was proven to be less smog as there were next to no cars on the road, and many polluting facilities were forced to shut down temporarily. As long as these shutdowns lasted, Central Park was affected. Either from the cleaner air quality or the new types of activities the park offered for its people; Central Park was changed from this event.
Narrative:
It was August 1853 and I was surrounded by my family’s land. The weather was hot, I was drenched in sweat. My parents both worked at a nearby textile factory, and I stayed home to watch my infant brother. My older brother also worked in a factory, but in a different one than my parents, he is 14. I had my baby brother in my arms, he was sound asleep. My family’s farm was very small, only enough to sustain us. It was more of a large garden really. The rest of the food we needed we got from the market, as we were in a less crowded area of New York City. It was my responsibility to bring my family’s money to market and buy what we needed, and see if we could trade for anything, either from food in our garden or any other things we have accumulated in the meantime.
I set my brother in my basket wrapped in blankets and began to walk off my property, money in hand. I took the normal path that lead from my family home to the next, waving at my neighbors as I passed. Our village was serene compared to the bustling city we could always hear just nearby. At the end of my small town I could see the tall buildings and lack of greenery. I saw so many horse-drawn carriages and people milling about. I took my brother and I continued into the city, keeping my family’s money purse close to me, tied to a string under my dress near my chest. This would help keep it away from any pickpockets. This is how our market days normally went.
When my foot met the cobblestone streets instead of the dirt road, I knew I was getting close to the market. My village had a small market, but they did not have the supplies I needed at the time. I needed fish for my family, and my mother had requested thread to repair our family’s clothes, as my father had just gotten a rip in his trousers. On the city street there were so many people, each who looked similar to me. Both of my parents were Irish, and we came from Seneca Village, where about a third of us were Irish. The other members were freed slaves, as New York had abolished slavery before I was born. They had children my age as well, and I often played with them and our animals. There were lots of stray dogs running around in the market, each trying to get their share of what was being offered today and each getting shoed with brooms and whatever was in reach. It was easy enough to find fish and thread, as there were so many stalls today. I tucked the thread underneath my brother, and I carried the fish in my arms, being careful to dodge the strays that may want to grab what I bought.
I took the same route home as I did to get to the market but paying more attention on this go-around. There were pigeons and other trash in the streets, people stepped over each other and it reeked something foul, I could smell it over the stench of my fish, especially in the heat. It was harder to breathe than in my town, which had grass and space to roam. I couldn’t hear any birdsong, as it was all covered by the sounds of carriage wheels and people shouting over one another. I don’t think there even was any birdsong to begin with besides the cooing of pigeons. It was a different kind of noise than I was used to.
After quite a bit of walking, I began to see the little yards of my home, nestled and hidden in the big city of New York. The air was cleaner here, and the sound of the city was quieted. The sounds of heavy machinery could be heard in the distance, as many factories had begun bringing in these machines to help with work, according to my parents. These loud noises had scared away some of the birds, but there were many that still stuck around in the trees throughout my town. There were squirrels that made these trees home too, and so many little bugs that my dress caught as it grazed over the grass. I waved to my neighbors as I passed them, they each had their own little yard and shop as well. I passed by my local market, which I preferred to shop at, but I needed items I could only get in the city today. Since our town was within the city itself, it was harder to get items such as fish. However, there were seamstresses in our town who sell thread and the like. Many of my neighbors were out today, even in the heat. It was part of our livelihood to sell and trade, as it was difficult to get outsiders of our village to shop with us, as we were a village of outcasts. Many people in the main city hated the Irish and hated the freed slaves even more. My family found solace here, as they had been rejected everywhere else. This community was the most accepting place we had been able to find in New York. My parents were still able to find work in the nearby factories, but their coworkers didn’t treat them well. Occasionally they would have people follow them to our neighborhood, shouting slurs the whole time. It almost always woke my brother up. However, my parents always stood their ground, and nothing ever bad happened to us. Our neighbors would also come out if they heard any commotion, and sometimes they would walk home together if they caught each other at the same time. Even if it was scary, I would rather live here than anywhere else.
I prepared the fish and our other grains we had for dinner, expecting my parents and brother at their normal time. I lit the fire under the range, and I put the fish on the iron pan we had for cooking. I pulled some bread we had left from our bread box and set the table. I took my baby brother and placed him in my lap while I grabbed the thread from the market and began to work on mending my family’s clothes and hemming one of my dresses that was just a little too long.
When my parents got home, they looked more somber than ever. I hadn’t heard any shouting following them home, and they didn’t seem agitated. I set their dinner on the table and I asked them what was on their mind. They responded by telling me that there was talk of Seneca Village being destroyed to make room for a wooded park. They explained to me that the other workers at the factory were telling my parents that they picked our village because it was a better location, but also because the other location the city officials had been looking at was full of rich white people. Seneca Village was full of freed slaves, so to them it was an obvious choice on who would lose their homes. I was devastated. I asked my parents where we would go and who would accept us. They responded by letting me know that the city would pay for our land, however much they thought it was worth, and we would just have to find somewhere else. My serene little part of the city, where we all knew each other and watched out for each other, where the main city was just an afternoon’s walk away. My parents told me that they would try to find a home close to the factory they worked at, so they wouldn’t have to find a new job as well, but they weren’t for sure how soon this event was going to happen. They just knew that it was going to happen soon. My heart broke, not just for myself, but for my friends. I knew that I probably wouldn’t be able to see them again unless we moved to the same neighborhood, but the way my parents are talking about it that would be unlikely. I trusted my parents to make the right choice, but deep down I knew my Garden of Eden wouldn’t be there for me anymore and I would be forced into the noisy, dirty, dangerous city life.
There is also evidence that has been uncovered by archeologists there they raised livestock and kept gardens, as well as fished in the Hudson River. Archeologists also uncovered iron tea kettles, roasting pans, a stoneware beer bottles, porcelain imported from China, and shoes with leather soles and fabric tops. This showed that life was very similar to how others lived at the time. The village existed from 1825 to 1857. In 1853 New York used eminent domain to seize the land that Seneca Village was on in order to build some of Central Park. It was painted as a village of shacks and uncivilized in order to gain more support for its destruction. The citizens of Seneca Village were paid for their land, however by many estimates they were severely underpaid, and their land was undervalued. After the village was demolished to build the park, unfortunately the community did not stay together, and they spread throughout New York, which made their history and the ability to track them extremely hard to find.
Central Park was finalized officially May 23rd, 1963, starting construction in 1858, consisting of 843 acres. Of its attractions, it contains over 18,000 trees, woodlands, lakes, biking paths and walking paths, a carriage drive, a bridal path, baseball and soccer fields, a carousel, two skating rinks, a zoo, gardens, monuments, as well as concert and theatre venues. Central Park had had its ups and downs throughout the years, either from economic hardships or mismanagement, however it has always remained a beacon for New Yorkers. In terms of an ecosystem, it has many resident and transient animals, such as the gray squirrel and the Baltimore orioles, respectively. Another purpose for the park was for an urban cooling effect, due to the high diversity in the park it contradicts the high human activity which provides the high level of heat.
Central Park is also quickly becoming a self-sustainable ecosystem, as long as there are volunteers are there to ensure that it is running properly. Since 1980, the Central Park Conservatory has been able to raise 600 million dollars, which allows for the park to continue running. This helps fund new attractions in order to raise public awareness for the park, which keeps their hiking trails and other amenities full of tourists and locals. Many people flock here for the various concert types offered, as well as athletic events.
However, in 2020, COVID-19 swept across the world, which put travel to a halt and kept many New York natives inside. With people unable to leave their homes due to the virus, Central Park sat empty for weeks during the initial period of the virus, as there was a mandatory lockdown. But approximately a month afterword’s, when the weather started to rise to 60ºF, people began to venture out and explore the park again. Since the majority of New York was closed because of the pandemic, this was one of the only things that people could do. Many people flocked to New York’s various parks in masks and swarms. This caused the population of humans in the park to swell. This varied from hospitals using both Central Park and various other smaller parks for recreation for their elderly patients to the development of tent “parks” within Central Park for people to relax in without the need to wear a mask. Even with this significant increase in people purposefully going to Central Park to escape the monotony of remaining inside to be safe, the city was much quieter than it previously had been. There was proven to be less smog as there were next to no cars on the road, and many polluting facilities were forced to shut down temporarily. As long as these shutdowns lasted, Central Park was affected. Either from the cleaner air quality or the new types of activities the park offered for its people; Central Park was changed from this event.
Narrative:
It was August 1853 and I was surrounded by my family’s land. The weather was hot, I was drenched in sweat. My parents both worked at a nearby textile factory, and I stayed home to watch my infant brother. My older brother also worked in a factory, but in a different one than my parents, he is 14. I had my baby brother in my arms, he was sound asleep. My family’s farm was very small, only enough to sustain us. It was more of a large garden really. The rest of the food we needed we got from the market, as we were in a less crowded area of New York City. It was my responsibility to bring my family’s money to market and buy what we needed, and see if we could trade for anything, either from food in our garden or any other things we have accumulated in the meantime.
I set my brother in my basket wrapped in blankets and began to walk off my property, money in hand. I took the normal path that lead from my family home to the next, waving at my neighbors as I passed. Our village was serene compared to the bustling city we could always hear just nearby. At the end of my small town I could see the tall buildings and lack of greenery. I saw so many horse-drawn carriages and people milling about. I took my brother and I continued into the city, keeping my family’s money purse close to me, tied to a string under my dress near my chest. This would help keep it away from any pickpockets. This is how our market days normally went.
When my foot met the cobblestone streets instead of the dirt road, I knew I was getting close to the market. My village had a small market, but they did not have the supplies I needed at the time. I needed fish for my family, and my mother had requested thread to repair our family’s clothes, as my father had just gotten a rip in his trousers. On the city street there were so many people, each who looked similar to me. Both of my parents were Irish, and we came from Seneca Village, where about a third of us were Irish. The other members were freed slaves, as New York had abolished slavery before I was born. They had children my age as well, and I often played with them and our animals. There were lots of stray dogs running around in the market, each trying to get their share of what was being offered today and each getting shoed with brooms and whatever was in reach. It was easy enough to find fish and thread, as there were so many stalls today. I tucked the thread underneath my brother, and I carried the fish in my arms, being careful to dodge the strays that may want to grab what I bought.
I took the same route home as I did to get to the market but paying more attention on this go-around. There were pigeons and other trash in the streets, people stepped over each other and it reeked something foul, I could smell it over the stench of my fish, especially in the heat. It was harder to breathe than in my town, which had grass and space to roam. I couldn’t hear any birdsong, as it was all covered by the sounds of carriage wheels and people shouting over one another. I don’t think there even was any birdsong to begin with besides the cooing of pigeons. It was a different kind of noise than I was used to.
After quite a bit of walking, I began to see the little yards of my home, nestled and hidden in the big city of New York. The air was cleaner here, and the sound of the city was quieted. The sounds of heavy machinery could be heard in the distance, as many factories had begun bringing in these machines to help with work, according to my parents. These loud noises had scared away some of the birds, but there were many that still stuck around in the trees throughout my town. There were squirrels that made these trees home too, and so many little bugs that my dress caught as it grazed over the grass. I waved to my neighbors as I passed them, they each had their own little yard and shop as well. I passed by my local market, which I preferred to shop at, but I needed items I could only get in the city today. Since our town was within the city itself, it was harder to get items such as fish. However, there were seamstresses in our town who sell thread and the like. Many of my neighbors were out today, even in the heat. It was part of our livelihood to sell and trade, as it was difficult to get outsiders of our village to shop with us, as we were a village of outcasts. Many people in the main city hated the Irish and hated the freed slaves even more. My family found solace here, as they had been rejected everywhere else. This community was the most accepting place we had been able to find in New York. My parents were still able to find work in the nearby factories, but their coworkers didn’t treat them well. Occasionally they would have people follow them to our neighborhood, shouting slurs the whole time. It almost always woke my brother up. However, my parents always stood their ground, and nothing ever bad happened to us. Our neighbors would also come out if they heard any commotion, and sometimes they would walk home together if they caught each other at the same time. Even if it was scary, I would rather live here than anywhere else.
I prepared the fish and our other grains we had for dinner, expecting my parents and brother at their normal time. I lit the fire under the range, and I put the fish on the iron pan we had for cooking. I pulled some bread we had left from our bread box and set the table. I took my baby brother and placed him in my lap while I grabbed the thread from the market and began to work on mending my family’s clothes and hemming one of my dresses that was just a little too long.
When my parents got home, they looked more somber than ever. I hadn’t heard any shouting following them home, and they didn’t seem agitated. I set their dinner on the table and I asked them what was on their mind. They responded by telling me that there was talk of Seneca Village being destroyed to make room for a wooded park. They explained to me that the other workers at the factory were telling my parents that they picked our village because it was a better location, but also because the other location the city officials had been looking at was full of rich white people. Seneca Village was full of freed slaves, so to them it was an obvious choice on who would lose their homes. I was devastated. I asked my parents where we would go and who would accept us. They responded by letting me know that the city would pay for our land, however much they thought it was worth, and we would just have to find somewhere else. My serene little part of the city, where we all knew each other and watched out for each other, where the main city was just an afternoon’s walk away. My parents told me that they would try to find a home close to the factory they worked at, so they wouldn’t have to find a new job as well, but they weren’t for sure how soon this event was going to happen. They just knew that it was going to happen soon. My heart broke, not just for myself, but for my friends. I knew that I probably wouldn’t be able to see them again unless we moved to the same neighborhood, but the way my parents are talking about it that would be unlikely. I trusted my parents to make the right choice, but deep down I knew my Garden of Eden wouldn’t be there for me anymore and I would be forced into the noisy, dirty, dangerous city life.