126th Street Harlem African Burial Ground Memorial and Mixed-Use Project

The Rediscovery

In 2009, a group of community members formed the Harlem African Burial Ground Task Force (HABGTF) to advocate for the creation of a memorial that would restore honor, dignity and respect to those buried at this sacred site. In 2011, Community Board 11 designated the HABGTF as the organization representing the interests of the historic cemetery. The HABGTF was, and its current successor, the Harlem African Burial Ground Initiative (HABGI), is co-chaired by Melissa Mark-Viverito, former councilmember for District 8 and City Council Speaker, and Rev. Dr. Patricia A Singletary, Pastor Emerita of the Elmendorf Reformed Church, the descendant church of the Harlem African Burial Ground.

In 2015, after the MTA decommissioned the bus depot, archaeologists were commissioned by NYCEDC to complete a Phase 1B archaeological investigation uncovered over 140 human bones or bone fragments of a minimum of two people, likely of African descent, on the site. These human remains were not situated in their original burial locations and were not within an identifiable burial shaft or grave, but were instead disarticulated, meaning they were separated from the other bones of the same body. This historic rediscovery physically reaffirmed the burial ground’s presence at this location.

The human remains were consecrated in a ceremony led by Rev. Dr. Patricia A. Singletary, and are stored in a safe and controlled environment at the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s NYC Archaeological Repository: The Nan A. Rothschild Research Center until they can later be reinterred within the future outdoor memorial.

In Summer 2019, NYCEDC and the HABGTF collaborated on a free exhibition at the La Marqueta public market in East Harlem showcasing the history of the Harlem African Burial Ground and the future project on the site. The opening featured a panel discussion moderated by Sharon Wilkins, Manhattan Deputy Borough Historian and HABGTF member. Read more on the opening event here.

The Vision

Beginning in 2015, NYCEDC worked in partnership with the HABGTF, elected officials, City agencies, and community organizations on a community-based planning process to develop a vision and goals for a future project at the site. In 2017, the project successfully completed the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), and a Points of Agreement (“POA”) letter memorialized the project goals and program developed during the planning process.

This process determined that the future project at the site will include:

• A permanent, public outdoor memorial, to be located on the entire historical footprint of the Harlem African Burial Ground
• An indoor cultural education center dedicated to providing programming about the history and cultural impact and significance of the Harlem African Burial Ground
• Housing, a minimum of 80% of which would be income-restricted affordable homes
• Commercial and retail space
• Additional community facility space
• Streetscape and pedestrian connections to the surrounding neighborhood
• A plan to train and hire East Harlem residents for construction and permanent jobs at the new project

What’s Next

In 2023, NYCEDC and the Harlem African Burial Ground Initiative will begin a new phase of archaeological work to establish the complete distribution of the human remains across the site and recover and store them until they can be reinterred as part of the outdoor memorial. This work will begin with the co-development of a workplan with the Harlem African Burial Ground Initiative and Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) in 2023, followed by fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and reporting in 2024 and 2025.

NYCEDC, in coordination with the HABGI, will complement this important archaeological work with a wide-reaching, multidisciplinary education and engagement effort to increase awareness and understanding of the Harlem African Burial Ground in East Harlem, Harlem and beyond. A Request for Proposals (RFP) to select a team to conduct this work is currently open. Learn more about the RFP here.

These steps will prepare the site for the safe, sensitive demolition of the bus depot and for the future project.

The City and HABGI announced these next steps on August 15th, 2023. View the announcement here and the press release.

NYCEDC and the HABGI will co-host a community town hall on September 18th to provide additional information about the history of the Harlem African Burial Ground and the project next steps.