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Before Central Park was constructed, between 1825-1857, there used to be a community called Seneca Village in the area near Summit Rock and today’s West 85th St. Approximately 225 people lived here, far north of the city, mostly African Americans, but also Irish and German immigrants. It was an autonomous place, offering freedom from discrimination and the city’s congestion with many residents owning homes, holding good jobs and sending their children to school. The Marshalls, the Guignons and the Lyonses area amongst the families who made NYC history, and archaeologists from Columbia Univ found a variety of artifacts which help us learn about daily life in Seneca Village, before the land was claimed by the city through eminent domain. We’ll take a deep dive into this most intriguing chapter of New York’s history.