African Burial Ground: The Forgotten Builders

New York · United States · Cemetery · Scare 3/5

Beneath a federal office building at 290 Broadway, New York's oldest and largest burial ground for free and enslaved Africans was uncovered in 1991.

Beneath a federal office building at 290 Broadway, New York's oldest and largest burial ground for free and enslaved Africans was uncovered in 1991. Between the end of the seventeenth century and 1794, an estimated 15,000 people were buried here, outside the city limits of the time, because Africans were denied space in the white cemeteries. The ground was later built over and forgotten for almost two centuries, until excavators revealed well preserved remains. After protests the construction was halted, and the site became a national monument in 2006.

This is not a horror attraction but a sacred place, and that is why we begin the walk here, speaking quietly. The dead beneath Lower Manhattan were anonymous and invisible for centuries, and this is where the city was finally forced to see them. Many describe the black granite of the memorial and its sunken spiral walkway as one of the most quietly charged places in all of New York. This is not about ghosts that want to frighten you, but about a memory that refused to stay buried. Let the silence speak before we move on.

FAQ

How scary is African Burial Ground: The Forgotten Builders?

African Burial Ground: The Forgotten Builders has a scare factor of 3/5 according to Haunted Places’ verified ratings.

Where is African Burial Ground: The Forgotten Builders located?

African Burial Ground: The Forgotten Builders is in New York, United States.

Image: Dmadeo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons