Welcome to The Kettle of Community!

This website explores tea use and the ways it impacted relationships between women in New York City’s Seneca Village – all inspired by one little teapot!  Seneca Village was founded in 1825, a community primarily made up of African American New Yorkers in present day Central Park. Eventually, the village was lost when the city confiscated the land through eminent domain, in order to build Central Park.  But, the residents left much evidence of their life behind! Through archaeological excavations, researchers discovered an assortment of materials and objects that can tell us a lot about Seneca Village’s former inhabitants. One such object is a blue and white teapot, the catalyst for this project, which gives us many clues about how tea and teaware was consumed  in 19th century Seneca Village, what village life there was like, and how relationships functioned between women in the village.

Explore this website by navigating the menu bar at the top. You will be able to explore the teapot, its history in the archaeology of Seneca Village, and how it was used by the women who lived there.  You will also find images, maps, and interactive components to help you investigate! 

Enjoy your journey to this virtual corner of Seneca Village! When you wish to return to this page, click the teapot in the upper left corner.

Site by Jordane Birkett, (BGC 2020)