Colonel Charles Young Triangle
1.149 acres
Colonel Charles Young (1864-1922) was a distinguished army
officer, cartographer, teacher, and diplomat who pioneered the entrance of
African-Americans into fields that were previously closed to them. He was born in
Mayslick, Kentucky on March 12, 1864, one year before the end of the Civil War. He moved
to Ohio at the age of nine and graduated from Ripley Colored High School in 1880. When he
entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1884, Young was the ninth
African-American to be admitted, and the third and last to graduate until nearly half a
century later. In 1894 he was assigned by the War Department to teach military science
and tactics, in addition to French and mathematics, at Wilberforce University in Ohio.
Young commanded the 9th Ohio Volunteer Infantry on the home front during the
Spanish-American War in 1898 and served two tours in the Philippine Insurrection between
1901 and 1903. Three years later, Young was appointed as military attaché to Haiti. He
was the first African-American military attaché in United States history. In addition to
making maps, Young reported to the Army War College on Haitian society and government, and
wrote a book entitled Military Morale of Nations and Races (1912). From 1912 to 1915 Young served as military attaché to Liberia, where
he helped to reorganize the National Military Constabulary. In 1916 he was awarded the
Spingarn medal by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
for his exceptional work in Liberia. After leading the 10th Cavalry Regiment on a punitive
expedition against bandit Pancho Villa in Mexico in 1916, Young established a school for
African-American soldiers at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. When he was found to be physically
unfit for service in World War I, Young was retired and promoted to full Colonel. Young
died in Lagos, Nigeria on January 8, 1922. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Located at Macombs Place and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard between
153rd and 154th Streets, this is one of two Harlem parks named for Colonel Young (the
other is a playground located between Lenox Avenue/Malcolm X Boulevard and Harlem River
Drive from 143rd Street to 145th Street). This site, originally called the Harlem Lane
Park, was acquired by Parks in 1893. The Board of Aldermen named the triangle in
Young’s memory on June 22, 1937. A second parcel was leased by the Housing Authority
to the City for park purposes in 1957. In 1996-97, Colonel Charles Young Triangle was renovated under a requirements contract
funded by Mayor Giuliani. The reconstruction included repairing the bordering sidewalks,
installing a new steel picket fence, repaving interior paths, and replanting the lawn.
Shaded by sycamore, maple, and elm trees, this park provides benches and grass for
visitors to enjoy a quiet respite near the Harlem River.
Saturday, Aug 08, 1998