Nestled in between 5th and 8th avenues with its center around 82nd Street, Central Park actually displaced a small African-American and Irish settlement in 1856 -- called Seneca Village.
The story goes that the Manhattan green, originally slated for 60th Street, kicked out Seneca Village when a wealthy man by the last name of Jones wanted it that way.
Jones controlled the economic and social climate in New York as well as the real estate needed to build Central Park on its intended location.
He refused to sell, moved Central Park up 5th Avenue, and brought the term "keeping up with the Joneses" into everyday vernacular.
This is the tale told by Olivia Ng, a third year School of Arts and Sciences graduate student, who presented her Senior thesis -- "Researching Seneca Village: Searching for the Under-represented" -- in Harnwell College House Tuesday night.
About 20 students were draped over the floor in the Ancient Studies lounge to hear Ng read her paper.
Ng explained how Central Park has not been around forever.
"It is a myth that Central Park is pristine wilderness," Ng said. "Construction began in 1856 at the expense of residents of Seneca Village."
Ng related the African-American and Irish settlers lost their homes to the government, which payed what it claimed to be a fair market value.
To facilitate this land theft, The New York Times ran smear campaigns in local papers, defaming the settlement.
On May 28, 1856, the paper wrote, "If some of the hogs, goats and other inmates of the shanties in this village do not die of yellow fever this summer, it will only be because Death himself hesitates to enter such hovels."
While major newspapers ran such one-sided stories, the public never heard from the residents of Seneca Village. Documentation of the village is very rare today.
Ng ended by explaining how difficult it is to study the settlement, when Central Park officials will not allow digging or other archeological research on the site.
However, she remains hopeful.
"One day, a lucky find will round out the picture of Seneca Village," she added.
Most attendees were part of the Ancient Studies Residential Program located on the 14th floor of Harnwell.
One student had special interest in the research.
"I'm a city planning student interested in planning history," Graduate Associate Jon Williams said.
After the talk, the intimate gathering enjoyed coffee and cheesecake while discussing the Central Park that might have been.
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