Before Central Park: The Story of Seneca VillageBefore Central Park: The Story of Seneca Village
Health and Healing Dealing with Trauma and Addictions
Mike D tells the story of Seneca Village, the community that once stood where Central Park is now, highlighting its role in Black property ownership, voting rights and community life. The episode links this erased history to themes of trauma, displacement and healing.
9:39•6 Nov 2026
Before Central Park: The Hidden History of Seneca Village
Episode Overview
- Seneca Village was a predominantly African American community that existed on land later taken for Central Park.
- Property ownership in the village gave some Black residents rare access to voting rights under strict laws.
- The community included homes, churches, burial grounds and a school, countering myths of shanty settlements.
- Eminent domain displaced around 1,600 inhabitants, with many arguing their land was undervalued.
- Archaeological artefacts from the site help reconstruct daily life and highlight the resilience of its residents.
“These people worked hard, shined shoes, cleaned houses, hard labour to own property and land, only to see it all disappear.”
How do people find hope in the darkest times? This episode of *Health and Healing Dealing with Trauma and Addictions* turns to history for answers, as Mike D shares the story of Seneca Village, the largely African American community that stood where Central Park now sits. You'll hear how Seneca Village began in 1825, when John and Elizabeth Whitehead subdivided their land into 200 lots.
The episode walks through the lives behind those facts: Andrew Williams, a 25-year-old black shoeshiner who bought the first three lots for $125, Epiphany Davis who bought 12 lots, and the A.M.E. Zion Church investing in six lots to anchor community life. Mike D paints a vivid picture of a tight-knit settlement where people of colour could live away from downtown Manhattan’s racism and unhealthy crowding.
By the mid-1850s, there were around 50 homes, three churches, burial grounds and a school for African American students. Property ownership didn’t just mean shelter; it meant rights, including the right to vote under New York’s harsh property requirements for men of colour. The tone shifts as he explains how eminent domain swept the community away to make room for Central Park, displacing roughly 1,600 inhabitants and undervaluing their land.
Archaeological digs in 2011, uncovering items like a tea kettle, roasting pan and a child’s shoe, help piece together daily life that was erased from the landscape. Throughout, Mike D links this history to wider patterns seen in places like Rosewood and Tulsa, and to the pain and resilience familiar to anyone who has faced trauma or marginalisation.
As he puts it, “These people worked hard, shined shoes, cleaned houses, hard labour to own property and land, only to see it all disappear.” The episode gently suggests that knowing these stories can support healing today, especially for those dealing with abuse, addiction and inherited wounds. What does the story of Seneca Village stir in you about community, justice and healing today?
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