Seneca Village
Central Park, Borough of Manhattan, New York City
In 2018-19, working with graphic designer Douglas Scott and the staff of the Central Park Conservancy, Hunter Research assisted in and coordinated the development of historic interpretive signage for Seneca Village, a predominantly African-American settlement that was removed in the late 1850s to make way for the creation of Central Park. A cohesive system of 16 freestanding 18 x 24” signs at choice locations are keyed to three peripheral introductory signs, while a centrally positioned, tri-sided, highly informative kiosk explains the origins, demography, social make-up and demise of this lost community. The village, once inhabited by several hundred residents, is now reduced to a meager archaeological expression concealed beneath the park landscaping. Our firm helped develop the sign content, guided the conceptual and final design, and assisted in the fabrication and installation of the sign panels and kiosk. The Seneca Village signage system was unveiled in the fall of 2019.
