Civic Center

While the Civic Center is not such a commonly known neighborhood, there are several very historic landmarks located within it. 



African Burial Grounds
This was New York City's first park, serving as a location for pasture, parades, celebrations, and executions. Later on, it became a burial ground for free africans and slaves. It is estimated that there were 15,000- 20,000 burials there. There have been many excavations at that site, but still remaining are the bodies of over 400 Africans, buried in the 17th and 18th centuries. 


City Hall
City hall is built in a somewhat Renaissance style of architecture. It was built by Mangin, the first New York born architect. Various parts of it have been restored many times. The exterior Massachusetts marble had been badly eroded due to pollution and pigeons. In addition, the back of the building was built out of brownstone in order to save money. 



City Hall Station
City Hall station is New York's first subway station, not for the subway we all know today, this was for the first subway system in America, the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT) built in 1900. The station was the southern edge of the line, and was slightly different than subway stations we think of today, as it had crystal chandeliers and a grand piano. Because the line was stopped in 1945, the station has been vaulted up, but some hope to reopen it as a new transit museum. 



St. Paul's Chapel
St. Paul's Chapel is the only pre-Revolutionary building still standing. It was built in 1764 and was where George Washington prayed every Sunday. It also provided shelter and care for injured victims of the 9/11 attacks. It is made of the rock that most of Manhattan sits on; Manhattan Schist. 


White Street Correctional Facilities
This prison is more commonly known by its nickname The Tombs. It is a high-rise building right in downtown Manhattan with room for 500 prisoners. It also features the "Bridge of Sighs" which connects the Tombs to the Manhattan Criminal Courts building. The Tombs have had many mentions in pop culture, specifically in Jim Carroll's songs "People Who Died" and "Catholic Boy", and William S. Burroughs' novel, Junkie