to be non-existent. The Village was a peaceful community and provided a higher level of living with the churches and schools being their main foundations. However, this prosperous community was desecrated by the power brokers of New York in order to build Central Park.Upon return from European grand tour, a wealthy merchant, Robert Minturn, brought back the idea of building a monumental park that would rival the parks of Europe. He had the support of many influential men; from senators to the powerful editor of the New York Evening Post. They agreed that the park would provide serenity to the workers of New York. In 1853, the middle of Manhattan was chosen. The City was given the authority to purchase or acquire this piece of land, which included Seneca Village.Residents of Seneca Village did their best to hold on to their property. To say the least, it was a losing battle. Because the people of the Village were mainly Irish and African American, they were treated with disdain by the press and their fellow New Yorkers. The press slandered the Village residents as “squatters”, “nuisances”, and “insects”. The destruction of the property and the displacement of the residents were celebrated by the people New York City. New York City officials robbed them of their property by paying them less than the appraised value. Others who refused to move, were forcibly thrown off their property and did not receive any financial compensation. Records show that approximately 1600 people were affected the hostile theft of the land, which is now called Central Park. When the remains of the deceased were unearthed in Central Park, we finally learned the morbid history of the creation of Central Park. In addition, there was much community support to keep the grave undisturbed and deem this area a historical site. By the time of its destruction, Seneca was a thriving village of working class minorities li...
