New 'Story Map' Shows Black History Behind West Village Landmarks

WEST VILLAGE, NY — The home of NYC's first female African American public school principal and a historic district that used to be known as "Little Africa" are the two West Village and Greenwich Village locations included in a new interactive map honoring Black history.

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission released an interactive "story map" this week in honor of Black History Month that highlights landmarks and historic districts recognized for their role in New York City's African American history.

The map includes one site in the West Village and one in Greenwich Village.

• 175 MacDougal Street (West Village)
• South Village Historic District (Greenwich Village)

The building at 175 MacDougal Street is the former home of Sarah Smith Garnet, who was New York City's first female African American public school principal. She lived in the residence during the 1880s.

The South Village Historic District stretches along the blocks around Minetta Street and Minetta Lane and was first settled by African Americans in the mid-19th century. The neighborhood became known as "Little Africa," the largest Black community in NYC.

"As we celebrate Black History Month and continue to strive for racial equity and social justice, it is important to recognize the history of the Black experience in New York City," Deputy Mayor Vicki Been said in a release. "Landmarking and designating historic districts are two ways that we honor and amplify the stories and contributions of the past, both good and bad, so we can learn from and build on our collective history. Ensuring that more New Yorkers can access and explore that history is a critical part of the process."

The project, called Preserving Significant Places of Black History, includes maps, narratives, images and multimedia about the stories behind landmarks and historic districts throughout the city.

It includes 75 individual landmarks and 33 historic districts that mark moments in New York City's history from before the Civil War, through the Civil Rights Movement and in historically African American neighborhoods defined by census records from the past 50 years.

"It is not an exhaustive list of all places significant to African American history in New York City, but an educational tool and a living document, which can be updated with additional scholarship about designated buildings, and with future designations of landmarks and historic districts," the commission said.

You can check out the full here interactive map here.

Patch reporter Anna Quinn contributed to this report