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=The Institute for the Exploration of Seneca Village History= Summer History & Archaeology Internship 2011

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Seneca Village was a predominantly African-American community established in the 1820s in the area of New York City's Upper West Side. More specifically, the Village was located in proximity of 81st - 89th Streets, and was bounded between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, It included a school and three churches; two were historically black churches, while one was racially integrated. In the 1850s, the City and State of New York decided to construct Central Park. This thriving community with a population nearing 300, was evicted and their land was taken through the right of eminent domain. The village homes and institutions were razed for the Park's creation and no memory of the community or its people remains.=====

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A team of social scientists, scholars, journalists and community activists have been conducting research on the Village for over a decade. During the summer of 2011, the Institute, which has formed a consortium of higher education institutions, is collaborating with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Central Park Conservancy, to conduct an archaeological field school in hopes of advancing our knowledge about the daily lives subsistence practices, health and environment of the Seneca Villagers.=====

Topographical Survey for the Grounds of Seneca Village by Egbert Viele, 1856