The New York State Board for Historic Preservation recently recommended that East Harlem's Elemendorf Reformed Church be placed on the national register of historic places but questions still linger about the Church's former burial ground. The Harlem African Burial Ground Task Force has now formed to address what is considered New York City's other African Burial Ground which is currently under the 126th Street MTA bus depot at First Avenue A new building set to finish by 2015 is currently planned for the site and the scenario might sound a bit similar to those who remember what happened back in 1991 when the first burial grounds were discovered. A new government building had been planned downtown when remains were found on the building site which then brought activist to action on having the grounds landmarked and protected as sacred ground. The Elemendorf Reformed Church is Harlem's oldest Church but the building at East 121st Street between Lexington and Third Avenue is the third incarnation of the establishment. The first church was built in the 17th Century around 1st Avenue and 125th Street and therefore the contested burial ground still remains there today. See a the video clip on NY1: LINK or read our past post about the church's efforts in protecting the site: LINK. Photos by Ulysses
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