Designated: June 22, 2021
An approximately 20-acre site within Conference House Park aka Aakawaxung Munahanung (Island Protected from the Wind) Archaeological Site that is associated with over 8,000 years of occupation by Native American people and contains important archaeological resources.
While extant structures associated with the colonial and white occupation of the site have long enjoyed the protections of landmark status, preserving the land that is the park and the treasures that lie beneath this hallowed ground was overdue. In addition to the gesture of recognition and acknowledgment of the presence and role of Native American populations in New York City, the designation will also trigger LPC review of all projects at the park and bestow a new, regulatory binding authority of the agency over the resources.
It is the first designation in New York City landmarks history to specifically recognize generations of Native American people. Unfortunately, many sites of pre-contact have been lost or developed in the United States. This strategic location, nestled between the Arthur Kill tidal strait and the Raritan Bay at the southernmost point of New York State is a veritable palimpsest of 8000 years—over 300 generations—of Native American history. There are still human remains in the aptly named Burial Ridge section of the site.
