Visualizing Seneca Village: Building an Informed and Collaborative 3D Virtual Model of a Displaced 19th-Century Black Community

Gergely Baics, Barnard College
Meredith Linn, Bard Graduate Center
Leah Meisterlin, Columbia University
Myles D Zhang, University of Michigan: College of Architecture / Urban Planning

Seneca Village, originating in 1825, presents an emblematic case of the aspirations of Black New Yorkers after emancipation to build an independent community, and New York City’s long history of destroying Black communities to make space for major public works projects, in this case to build Central Park in 1857. Decades of historical and archeological research have unearthed and generated collective awareness about the history of the village and its residents. At the same time, the lack of any surviving photos or drawings makes it difficult for the public to imagine the place. To provide a helpful digital public history tool, our team has created a 3D visual model of how Seneca Village might have appeared just before its destruction in 1857 to build Central Park. We integrated historical and archaeological research with digital mapping methods to create our model. First, we used historic maps and GIS to make an accurate map of roads, cemeteries, and buildings, as well as historic elevation, farmland, rock outcrops, and trees. Second, we modeled buildings with 3D software, basing their size and appearance on archival sources, archaeological finds, and informed assumptions about 19th-century architecture. Third, we added visual details and notes about villagers, drawing on social historical and archaeological research into documents (census, tax, church, etc.) and material evidence from excavation. We have also engaged with key Seneca Village stakeholders, including the NYC Archaeological Repository, the Seneca Village Advisory Board, the Central Park Conservancy, known Seneca Village descendants, and expert historians and archeologists, to solicit feedback. At the SSHA, we will present our model, including the sources, methods, and assumptions used to create it, and discuss how we hope our visualization might contribute to Seneca Village’s public history and collective memory.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 10. New Approaches to Public Spatial History