Existence Seneca Village

1 existence

1.1 melting pot
1.2 institutional buildings
1.3 1855 census
1.4 political involvement

existence
melting pot

blacks first came area in september 1825, when john whitehead, white real estate prospector, began selling off parcels of farm. andrew williams, young black man, first bought 3 lots $125. 1832, 26 more lots sold african americans. epiphany davis, laborer , trustee of african methodist episcopal zion church, bought 12 lots $578 same day. church bought 6 lots. between 1825 , 1832, real estate records show, whiteheads sold @ least 24 land parcels black families. seneca village became gathering place after 1 main historical event: slavery s coming end in new york state on july 4, 1827. in addition disproportionate number of landowning african americans in seneca village, many residents boarded in homes did not own, demonstrating within innovative activist community of seneca village, there significant class stratification.

in 19th century, seneca village attracted many other ethnic groups different reasons. seneca village grew in 1830s when people community called york hill forced move after government-enforced eviction; york hill land used build basin croton distributing reservoir.

later, during potato famine in ireland, many irish residents came live in seneca village, swelling village 30 percent during time. both african americans , irish immigrants marginalized , faced discrimination throughout city. remarkably, despite social , racial conflicts elsewhere, african americans , irish in seneca village chose live in close proximity each other.

institutional buildings

the village had 3 churches, 2 schools, , 2 cemeteries. first african methodist episcopal zion church of yorkville laid cornerstone in seneca village in 1853. box put cornerstone contained bible, hymn book, church s rules, letter names of 5 trustees, , copies of tribune , sun newspapers. sister church, known mother ame zion, in harlem on 137th street. following razing of seneca village, ame zion church disappeared.

all angel s church, founded in 1830s, served community center in seneca village. when community razed, church relocated corner of 81st street , eleventh avenue (west end avenue).

there school located in church 17-year-old catherine thompson taught village s children.

1855 census

in 1855, new york state census found seneca village had 264 residents. @ time in new york city s history, of city s population lived below 14th street, , region above 59th street sporadically developed, , semi-rural or rural in character. no 1 knows residents of seneca village resettled. date, no living descendants of seneca villagers have been found.

political involvement

of 13,000 black new yorkers, 91 black new york residents qualified vote, , 10 lived in seneca village. purchase of land blacks came play out in political engagement. blacks in seneca village extremely politically engaged in proportion rest of new york. in order vote, male needed $250 freehold estate , 3 years of residency in state.