With Juneteenth approaching, a piece of history lies in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.

The third-biggest park in the city spans over 1,100 acres, but what some may not know is that a study done by the Parks Department in 2019 discovered coffins buried next to the colonial burial grounds in the park. Historians at the park deduced that these unmarked graves belong to slaves.

“Van Cortlandt Park at a point in its history was a plantation, it was built by enslaved people who were owned by the Van Cortlandt family,” said Stephanie Ehrlich of the Van Cordlandt Park Alliance.

“We want to make sure to honor the legacy and memory of the people whose names we may not know,” said Ehrlich, “but who built what we now know as a beautiful park."

Visitors can now learn more about the park’s history at the burial ground, which was consecrated last year on Juneteenth.

For more information, follow this link.