GSA’s African Burial Ground project began in 1991, when, during excavation work for a new federal office building, workers discovered the skeletal remains of the first of more than 400 men, women and children. Further investigation revealed that during the 17th and 18th centuries, free and enslaved Africans were buried in a 6.6 acre burial ground in lower Manhattan outside the boundaries of the settlement of New Amsterdam, which would become New York. Over the decades, the unmarked cemetery was covered over by development and landfill.
Managed by GSA, the overall project is a testimonial to a positive and collaborative partnership between many parties, including the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Howard University, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the African American community.
Today the site is a National Monument featuring a distinctive memorial that commemorates and communicates the story of the African Burial Ground—the single-most important, historic urban archaeological project undertaken in the United States.
This website contains information on GSA’s African Burial Ground project, the memorial, artwork, interpretive center, reinterment ceremony, scientific reports and more.
The African Burial Ground National Monument, located at the corners of Duane and Elk Streets in lower Manhattan, is operated by the National Park Service. For directions to the site and more information, go to
www.nps.gov/afbg The memorial is open Monday through Sunday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day.
The African Burial Ground Visitor Center is located in the adjacent Ted Weiss Federal Building at 290 Broadway. The hours of operation are Monday thorough Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for federal holidays.
For more information please contact: African Burial Ground National Monument National Park Service 290 Broadway New York, NY 10007 Phone 212-637-2019 For more information on the U.S. General Services Administration, please go to
www.gsa.gov African Burial Ground Project Receives 2008 Preserve American Presidential Award.
Read about the award
President Bush designates African Burial Ground a National Monument.
Read the Proclamation
Read the GSA Press Release
Read the NPS Press Release
Read the GSA web story
Transcripts from the April 19, 2006 African Burial Ground Interpretive Center Pre-Proposal Conference:
Meeting minutes 4/19/06 A with Clarifications
Meeting minutes 4/19/06 B with Clarifications
National Park Service Draft Management Recommendations Report
The Draft Management Recommendations for the African Burial Ground has just been released. Click this link to view the report online.
Click here for information on obtaining a copy of the report and for details on two Open House Public Gatherings that the National Park Service is planning.
African Burial Ground Brochure - October 2003 (.PDF 2,381 KB)
African Burial Ground Brochure - May 2003 (.PDF 2,080 KB)
Interagency Agreement for African Burial Ground Technical Assistance Between the
National Park Service and the General Services Administration - 09/11/2003 (.PDF 967 KB)
Support Agreement (SA) No. 1
Performed Under Interagency Agreement between NPS and GSA (.PDF 938 KB)
Support Agreement (SA) No. 2
Performed Under Interagency Agreement between NPS and GSA (.PDF 1,318 KB)
Support Agreement (SA) No. 3
Performed Under Interagency Agreement between NPS and GSA (.PDF 618 KB)
Modification to Support Agreement (SA) No. 3
Performed Under Interagency Agreement between NPS and GSA (.PDF 358 KB)
National Park Service Listening Sessions
African Burial Ground - Executive Summary
Federal Steering Committee on the African Burial Ground - Chronology 1989 - 1993
Site and Project History
03/31/2007 Quarterly Report (.PDF 25 KB)
12/31/2006 Quarterly Report (.PDF 99 KB)
09/30/2006 Quarterly Report (.PDF 129 KB)
06/30/2006 Quarterly Report (.PDF 83 KB)
03/31/2006 Quarterly Report (.PDF 78 KB)
12/31/2005 Quarterly Report (.PDF 54 KB)
09/30/2005 Quarterly Report (.PDF 79 KB)
06/30/2005 Quarterly Report (.PDF 37 KB)
03/31/2005 Quarterly Report
12/31/2004 Quarterly Report
09/30/2004 Quarterly Report
06/30/2004 Quarterly Report
03/31/2004 Quarterly Report
12/31/2003 Quarterly Report
10/31/2003 Quarterly Report
07/31/2003 Quarterly Report
04/30/2003 Quarterly Report
01/31/2003 Quarterly Report
10/31/2002 Quarterly Report
07/31/2002 Quarterly Report
Posted By: DAVID JOHNSON
Monday, August 13th 2012 at 8:47PM
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