What’s in a name? Gay Street
Gay Street is one of the most charming and picturesque streets in Greenwich Village, an icon of the historic neighborhood’s anachronistic character. But the origins of its name are hotly … Continued
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Category: Social & Political Movements
Beyond the Village and Back: Assyrian Revival on West 30th Street
In 2001, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated 130 West 30th Street as a Landmark. Designed by the preeminent architect Cass Gilbert in 1927–28, the building was built to accommodate offices, showrooms and manufacturing space for the fur industry.
A Tradition of Progressive Education
Our neighborhood is rife with educational institutions and schools which have blazed trails and tread new ground. Today we will look at two schools which have benefited the younger members … Continued
Dorothy Day
“We need to change the system. We need to overthrow, not the government, as the authorities are always accusing the Communists [of conspiring to do], but this rotten, decadent, putrid … Continued
Alex Haley and the Village
The renowned writer Alex Haley was born on August 11 in 1921. In the 1960’s, the Haley rented a writing studio in the back of the Greenwich Village building at … Continued
A Synagogue Preserved, Reflecting a Neighborhood’s Transformation
On August 9, 2010, GVSHP and the East Village Community Coalition asked the Landmarks Preservation Commission to consider designating this historic building at 323-327 East 6th Street with various layers of … Continued
Top Five Greenwich Village Moments in Fourteenth Amendment History
The Fourteenth Amendment, adopted on July 28, 1868, played an important role in setting legal precedents for equality after the Civil War. The most radically worded of the Reconstruction Amendments, it … Continued
The Young Lords Start in Tompkins Square Park
The Young Lords announced the founding of their New York Chapter in Tompkins Square Park on July 26, 1969. The Puerto Rican nationalist group started as a turf gang in … Continued
Twenty Years Later, A Community Center is Still Empty
This Friday, July 20, marks the 20th anniversary of the controversial auction of the former P.S. 64/CHARAS-El Bohio Community and Cultural Center at 605 East 9th Street by then-Mayor Giuliani over … Continued
A Decision By the State Was An Important Milestone in Preserving Gansevoort Market
There were many moments to celebrate along the arc of fighting for the protection of the Gansevoort Historic District, also known as the Meatpacking District. One such milestone took place … Continued
A Duel, A Land Sale, and A Very Unusual History (thanks, Aaron Burr)
On this date in 1804, just five days following his infamous duel with Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr sold two plots of land in our neighborhood. Why? Well, he was charged with multiple … Continued
Many Layers of History at 7th Avenue and 12th Street: St. Vincent’s Hospital
This piece is part of a series about Village blocks that correspond to calendar dates. You can read some of the other ones here. Another day, another date that corresponds … Continued
Celebrating Willa Cather
The Village is a very far cry from the Nebraska prairie where Willa Cather spent much of her childhood. But her most productive writing period was indeed while she lived … Continued
Lee Morgan, East Village Jazz Trumpet Prodigy
Lee Morgan, prodigy jazz trumpeter, born on July 10, 1938, in Philadelphia. One of his sisters bought him his first trumpet, and by the time he was a teenager he … Continued
C.B.J. Snyder and the East Village
We have written a number of times about the former P.S. 64/ CHARAS-El Bohio Community and Cultural Center and our efforts to save the landmarked building. The beloved historic structure was built … Continued
They Lived on West 9th Street: Dashiell Hammett
They Lived on West 9th Street: Dashiell Hammett is the 4th in a series. Dashiell Hammett (May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) is arguably one of the most mysterious … Continued
WWI and the Village
On June 28, 1914, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, an event that led to the start of World War I. While the Archduke himself bears few of any ties … Continued
Helen Keller’s Village Activist Life and Legacy
Helen Keller’s connections to New York City and Greenwich Village are numerous but perhaps less well known, as they are largely rooted in her work not as an advocate for … Continued
United States v. Windsor
On June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5 to 4 decision (United States v. Windsor), declared unconstitutional part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which … Continued
Part 2- REBNY Report Falsely Blames Landmarking for Empty Storefront Syndrome
Recently, I responded to a portion of a recent “report” by the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) that (incredibly, but predictably for REBNY) blamed the retail vacancy crisis … Continued
Greenwich Village at the White House
This picturesque wintry scene of Christopher Street was painted by Greenwich Village resident and artist Beulah Bettersworth in 1934. Looking west from Hudson Street along Christopher, it shows the Ninth … Continued
A Landmark’s Long Fight for Life
The former Public School 64, which once housed the CHARAS community and cultural center, was designed by master school architect C.B.J. Snyder in the French Renaissance Revival style in 1904-06. And … Continued
A Landmark SCOTUS Win: Penn Central v. City of New York
The summer of 1978 in New York City has been well documented. The city was a place of joy, grit, and transition, looking for the next big idea — or … Continued
Beyond the Village and Back: “Becoming Visible” and The Legacy of Stonewall at the NYPL
Our Beyond the Village and Back series takes a look at great landmarks in New York City outside of our neighborhoods, finding the sometimes hidden connection to the Village. Today we … Continued
REBNY Report Falsely Blames Landmarking for Empty Storefront Syndrome
A recent “report” by the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) was released that (incredibly, but predictably for REBNY) blamed the retail vacancy crisis impacting our city on landmarking … Continued
St. John’s in the Village Episcopal Church, Honoring their Open Door
Walking through the 11th Street horse-walk into the courtyard of St. John’s in the Village Episcopal Church is like walking through a magical passageway into a holy place. It’s all … Continued
St. Vincent’s Project: Novenas for a Lost Hospital
Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, one of Greenwich Village’s most inventive and exciting producers of new works, is partnering with GVSHP, the NYC AIDS Memorial Board, St. John’s in the Village, and … Continued
The Baldwin-Kennedy Meeting of 1963
As we reflect upon the life and legacy of Robert F. Kennedy, his central role in the progress of civil rights in America comes immediately to mind. Kennedy was to … Continued
Pride Month in All Corners of the Village
June is Pride Month, which makes it especially exciting time to be in the Village. LGBT history is closely tied with the Village and environs, and throughout the course of … Continued
Walt Whitman’s Bohemian Village, Featuring Pfaff’s
“What thoughts I have of you, tonight, Walt Whitman.” This opening line of Allen Ginsberg’s poem “A Supermarket in California,” draws meandering inspiration from one of New York’s most renowned meanderers, … Continued
GVSHP’s First Plaque, On 1st Street
This is an updated version of a previous post by Andito Lloyd. On May 30, 2012, GVSHP officially launched its historic plaque program with the unveiling of our very first … Continued
Theater for The New City: 2018 Village Awardee
Theater for The New City (TNC) was founded in 1970 and has served its community with a wide variety of programming for nearly fifty years. TNC has premiered nearly one … Continued
Bea Arthur Residence: 2018 Regina Kellerman Award Winner
The Bea Arthur Residence for homeless LGBT youth, named for “Golden Girl” Bea Arthur, was born of a partnership between the Cooper Square Committee and the Ali Forney Center. This … Continued
Beyond the Village and Back – Jacob Riis Park’s Art Deco Bathhouse
With its parallel octagonal towers rising above the beach, the sprawling Art Deco bathhouse complex at Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways has, since opening in 1932, served as a monument to Art Deco design, grand public works, and popular beach-time fun.
Jane Jacobs’ NYC: The sites that inspired her work and preservation legacy
Jane Jacobs’ birthday on May 4 is marked throughout the world as an occasion to celebrate one’s own city — its history, diversity, and continued vitality. “Jane’s Walks” are conducted … Continued
Many layers of history on 4th and 5th Streets
May the 4th be with you! While today is a special day for many Star Wars fans, for us in the Village today’s date is a reminder of that the … Continued
Remembering the Ritz
There are a number of legendary rock venues in our neighborhood, many an integral part of the 1980s NYC club scene. One of the leading ones was ‘The Ritz,’ located … Continued
Oral Histories on the Founding of An Artists’ Colony, A Prison Reform Organization, and So Much More
GVSHP has been conducting and sharing oral histories since the mid-1990s. As we look back on two powerhouse oral histories, we’re considering the importance of such documents as “the first … Continued
Smells Like The Pyramid Club
Nirvana is one of the most influential alternative rock bands of all time. They helped to popularize this genre of music and brought the Washington State grunge scene that emerged … Continued
Marlis Momber, an East Village Icon
NYC has designated the week of April 17 as Immigrant Heritage Week, because on April 17, 1907, more immigrants entered the U.S. through Ellis Island than any other day in … Continued
Immigrant Heritage Day – Taking a Walk to the Immigrant East Village
Immigration history in New York City is long, storied and full of notable events and movements which are personal and political. The City of New York is the ultimate city … Continued
A Look Back at the Latino Lower East Side and East Village
Within our Historic Image Archive of over a thousand images of our neighborhoods and other parts of New York City, a few mysteries lurk in terms of where exactly a picture … Continued
Celebrating the 15th Amendment on Bleecker Street
On March 30, 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was certified as duly ratified, prohibiting the denial of citizens the right to vote based on “race, color, or … Continued
Watching GVSHP, and Village Preservation Efforts, Grow
We recently added copies of GVSHP’s newsletter The Anthemion dating back to the organization’s founding in the early 1980s to our website, which you can view here. There is so … Continued
Anthony Congo, Freed Slave and Early Lower Manhattan Landowner
On March 26, 1647, Anthony (also referred to as Antony) Congo, a newly manumitted slave of the Dutch West India Company, was granted six acres of land by the Council … Continued
Westbeth – Adaptive Reuse Trailblazer, Home, Studio, and Community for Over 50 Years
1968 was a big year for New York City and the world – music, arts, staggering political and social change. And, in the midst of it all, a tan block-square … Continued
Honoring Lucy and Lenny Cecere
Lucy Cecere, who passed away on March 19, 2011, at the age of 89, was small in stature, but a true giant in a neighborhood of outsized personalities in which … Continued
Women’s Work: Celebrating (More) Amazing Female Artists of the Village
Scrolling through Off the Grid or any other collection of New York history, we’ve all become familiar with the legendary characters of the Village – Dylan, Kerouac, Hendrix, Duchamp, and … Continued
Is there a Doctor in the Village? Yes, and Her Name Was Elizabeth Blackwell
Continuing our celebration of Women’s History, today we look at a seminal figure not only in women’s history but medical history as well — Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell. You may already … Continued
15 Trailblazing Women of Greenwich Village and the East Village
Greenwich Village is well known as the home to libertines in the 1920s and feminists in the 1960s and ’70s. But going back to at least the 19th century, the … Continued
Elizabeth Jennings Graham — New York’s Rosa Parks, A Century Earlier
Exploring African American history in our neighborhoods, today we look at Elizabeth Jennings Graham, a woman who, in her simple quest to get to her church on East 6th Street … Continued
15 Sites of Critical African American History in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village has been known throughout its existence for breaking new ground and embracing outsiders. One often-forgotten but important element of that trailblazing narrative is the extraordinary role the Village played … Continued
North America’s First Freed Black Settlement Right in our Neighborhood
In continuing our celebration of black history, we have a new and exciting entry to our Civil Rights and Social Justice Map: North America’s First Freed Black Settlement. According to … Continued
The Lower East Side People’s Federal Credit Union
The presence of banks in neighborhood retail spaces often elicit mixed feelings at best. Typically these tend to deaden the streetscape and are owned and operated by some faceless, distant … Continued
Black History Month 2018 – Learn and Celebrate with Us!
Black History Month gives us the opportunity to look at an important and too often overlooked or undervalued part of American, New York, and neighborhood history and highlighting. Within our … Continued
The Women’s House of Detention
To walk by the verdant, lush garden behind the graceful Jefferson Market Library today, one can scarcely imagine that it was once the site of an eleven-story prison, the notorious … Continued
Angela Davis: Her Greenwich Village Connections
This is an updated reposting of a blog by staffer, Matthew Morowitz, January 26th, 2016. Activist, leftist, and radical feminist — these are just some of the words used to describe Angela … Continued
Remembering Jodie Lane
On January 16, 2004, Jodie Lane was walking her dogs in the East Village, where they began to act erratically around the corner of 11th Street and 1st Avenue (about … Continued
Landmarks vs. National Monuments: How Safe is the Stonewall Inn?
In late April of last year, President Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at reviewing all National Monuments created under the Antiquities Act since 1996. As the Stonewall National Monument, … Continued
Historic Preservation 101: What is a Landmark?
This is a re-posting of a piece originally written in 2011. Architect Phillip Johnson and others protesting the demolition of Pennsylvania Station We speak often of historic districts, individual landmarks … Continued
The Gay Activist Alliance is Founded
On December 21, 1969, the Gay Activist Alliance (GAA) was founded. Almost exactly six months after the Stonewall Riots, the group was founded by Marty Robinson, Jim Owles, and Arthur Evans, … Continued
All we want for the holidays is TO SAVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!
It’s the case every year – what we want for the holidays, much like every other time of year, is to save our neighborhood. On a very cold December 20, … Continued
Thomas Paine, the American Crisis, and Greenwich Village
“These are the times that try men’s souls…” so says the opening line of the first pamphlet of the series, The American Crisis, written by Thomas Paine, which was published on December … Continued
Remembering Fiorello LaGuardia
Many today are too young to remember that the name LaGuardia didn’t always just refer what is frequently called the worst airport in America. Rather, it also referred to a … Continued
New York City from the 1970s to 9/11: Through the Lens of Meredith Marciano
A film industry location scout with a keen eye for settings, Meredith Jacobson Marciano has been an East Village resident since 1986. An avid photographer with an eye for pop … Continued
Julius’ Bar, an LGBT Landmark
On December 5, 2012, GVSHP asked the New York State Office of Historic Preservation to find Julius’ Bar (a Village Award winner) eligible for the State and National Registers of … Continued
Remembering James Baldwin
Through his writing, televised debates, and public speaking across the globe, author and activist James Baldwin (August 2, 1924 — December 1, 1987) was a vital voice for the civil rights movement. … Continued
An Attitude of Gratitude at GVSHP
As we reflect upon the turbulence of the past year, we at GVSHP are continually reminded that while the times may be tough, we have an abundance of things for … Continued
November 22, 1909: A Frail 23 Year Old Woman Ignites the Strike of the 20,000 at Cooper Union
On November 22, 1909, a frail 23-year-old woman, who’d been brutally beaten by strike-breakers, was helped up onto the stage of the Great Hall at the Cooper Union. Leaders of … Continued
Otis Kidwell Burger, Who’s Seen the Village From Suffrage to Luxury
West Village history can’t be said to live in any one person, but Otis Kidwell Burger has seen a great deal of it, and holds a great deal more in … Continued
Labor History in the Village
Some of the most important events and most prominent figures in the labor movement bear strong connections to the Village and East Village. Without these courageous individuals, or the events … Continued
Suffragette City
Today we look back on a critical milestone in the health of our democracy and a red letter day for the State of New York. The achievement of full voting … Continued
African Free School, First in America for Black Students, Found a Home in Greenwich Village
The African Free School was founded on November 2, 1787 in Lower Manhattan by the New-York Manumission Society and founding fathers Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. It was the very first school … Continued
Honoring and Preserving 101 Avenue A, Home of the Pyramid Club
On October 30, 2007, GVSHP submitted a request to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission that they consider 101 Avenue A (6th/7th Streets) in the East Village as an individual New … Continued
W.E.B. Du Bois Makes – and Teaches – History at the New School, September 27, 1948
On September 27, 1948, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, more commonly known as W.E.B. Du Bois, began teaching the very first African-American history and culture class ever taught at a … Continued
Saved From the Wrecking Ball: Today, and Fifty Years Ago
Victory snatched from the jaws of defeat! We have seen it on many occasions here at GVSHP. Most recently, in case you haven’t heard, we were victorious in persuading the … Continued
David Rothenberg, Civil Rights and Social Justice Pioneer
Civil rights and social justice crusader David Rothenberg, the founder of the Fortune Society and a 2015 Village Award winner, has now been added to the GVSHP Civil Rights and … Continued
How LGBT activism led to NYC’s most notorious bank robbery: The real story behind ‘Dog Day Afternoon’
The most notorious bank robbery in New York City history took place on August 22, 1972, during the decidedly dog days of that long hot summer. Immortalized in the film … Continued
Thirsty Thursday! Village boîtes abound!
Greenwich Village is often referred to as the Paris of this side of the Atlantic. I’m not sure I would go quite that far, but truly the Village is glorious … Continued
Happy Birthday, Alex Haley!
Pulitzer-prize winning American author Alex Haley was born this day, on August 11, 1921. GVSHP’s Civil Rights & Social Justice Map highlights over a hundred sites in our neighborhood associated … Continued
Impeachment and the Village
On July 27, 1974, the House Judiciary Committee recommended that President Richard M. Nixon be impeached and removed from office. And while many remember the two year saga which placed … Continued
Hunter S. Thompson: Iconoclast and Writer For Our Times
Where is a journalist like Hunter S. Thompson (July 18, 1937 – February 20, 2005) when you really need him (or her)? The wild and wooly world we live in is … Continued
July 9, 1819: Slavery, Gentrification, and the Last Execution in Washington Square
This is a re-posting of a piece written by GVSHP’s Matthew Morowitz. Sunday, July 9th marked the 198th anniversary of the last execution that took place in Washington Square – … Continued
Marsha P. Johnson: Trans-activist, Stonewall Revolutionary, Village Resident
In the wake of the Stonewall anniversary last month, it’s a good time to look back at some of the inspiring figures that were involved with the uprising that helped … Continued
Sheltering People with HIV/AIDS – In Fiction, and Reality
This summer, members of GVSHP’s first-ever book club (myself included!) are reading Tim Murphy’s Christodora together. It’s a time-travelling exploration of evolving neighborhoods, the impact of HIV/AIDS, and how the lives … Continued
The Legacy of the Stonewall Riots
The infamous raid on the Stonewall Inn occurred at 3am on June 28th, 1969, and was followed by five nights of ongoing protests. These events came to be known as the … Continued
The Church of the Village: Remembering Injustice Against Gay Clergy Event
On Wednesday, June 21st, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation attended a plaque unveiling at the Church of the Village to honor former gay clergymen. Reverends Clarence Edward Egan … Continued
PFLAG Plaque Unveiled
On Sunday, June 23, 2013 outside the Church of the Village at the corner of Seventh Avenue and West 13th Street, GVSHP helped to unveil a plaque to commemorate the … Continued
LGBT History in All Corners: NoHo
June is Pride Month, an especially exciting time in our neighborhoods. LGBT history is closely tied with the Village and environs, and this month we’re highlighting the LGBT history of the … Continued
LGBT History in All Corners: the South Village
June is Pride Month, an especially exciting time to be in the Village. LGBT history is closely tied with our neighborhoods, and this month we’re highlighting the LGBT history of the … Continued
Pride Month in NYC: More Historic LGBT sites to visit in our neighborhoods
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village. The … Continued
LGBT History in All Corners of the Village: East Village
This is the latest post in our Pride Month series, read the first on the West Village here. June is Pride Month, which makes it especially exciting time to be … Continued
Greater Transparency Now Mandated for the Board of Standards and Appeals
Last week the Mayor signed a raft of bills passed by the City Council that will lead to a series of reforms to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) … Continued
LGBT History in All Corners of the Village: The West Village
June is Pride Month, which makes it an especially exciting time to be in the Village. LGBT history is closely tied with the Village and its environs, and throughout the … Continued
2017 Village Awardee: GOLES
Off the Grid is highlighting our 2017 Village Awards winners in our upcoming June 6th Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony. Click here for more information about the event and to RSVP. Read about other awardees here … Continued
April 12, 1901: Back When the “New Law” was New
This was originally posted by Amanda Davis, GVSHP’s former Director of Preservation & Research. It has been updated with new information. New law tenement at 151 Bleecker Street in the … Continued
Historic Court Decision Had Roots in Village House
The historic 2017 federal court decision that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) people are protected from employment discrimination under the civil rights act has deep roots in a house in the … Continued
Ten Years Ago Today – The End of Old Chumley’s
Ten years ago today, a chimney at 86 Bedford Street separated from an interior wall and collapsed into the world-famous Chumley’s bar. Chumley’s would never be the same again. The … Continued
Remembering Jeanne Manford and the Founding of PFLAG
On this date in 2013, GVSHP and Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) unveiled our plaque to memorialize and celebrate Jeanne Manford at the Church of the Village at … Continued
Women’s History Month: Saluting Eleanor Roosevelt
On this last day of Women’s History Month, we would be remiss if we didn’t salute one of my favorite 20th century female figures, Eleanor Roosevelt. Aside from being First … Continued