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Tag: Stonewall Inn

Stonewall National Monument: Marking Nearly 60 Years of Pride and Resilience

It is the first National Monument designated to mark LGBTQIA+ history. President Obama designated the Stonewall National Monument on June 24, 2016, becoming official on June 27, 2016. The road to designation was a long one. In the 1990s Village Preservation, then known as Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), along with the now-defunct […]

Christopher Park: A Small Space with a Long History

In the early 1800s, the area around modern-day Christopher Street was suffering from overcrowding, following the migration of residents from lower Manhattan after the yellow fever outbreak of 1822 that helped to create Greenwich Village. A devastating fire in 1835 led to residents calling for open space, and on April 5, 1837, they got their […]

Thank You To Our Members — Making 40 Years of Village Preservation Possible

It’s Village Preservation’s 40th birthday this year. In honor of this auspicious occasion, we recently released a story map that details our efforts documenting, celebrating, and advocating for the preservation of our neighborhoods, all of which are made possible by our members and supporters. The map is divided by decade, and so today we showcase […]

The Fight to Recognize LGBT Civil Rights History in Our Neighborhoods

On January 16th, 2013, Village Preservation sent a letter to the  New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) requesting that it landmark key sites of significance to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) history we had identified. At this time, no buildings in the city were explicitly recognized or protected by the LPC primarily for […]

The long road to landmark: How NYC’s Stonewall Inn became a symbol of civil rights

Millions converge in New York City each year in late June to celebrate events which took place in and outside of a Greenwich Village bar in 1969. The Stonewall Riots are not only be memorialized here in New York City, but those events have come to take on international significance. There are celebrations and marches in countries across the globe, […]

GVHD50 and Stonewall50 – LGBTQ Sites of the Greenwich Village Historic District

This is one in a series of posts marking the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Greenwich Village Historic District. Click here to check out our year-long activities and celebrations. Rounding up each person, place, and moment in the Greenwich Village Historic District’s LGBTQ history would take longer than it does to line up […]

From Condemned Land to National Monument: Christopher Park

Christopher Park has come a long way; beginning its life as a condemned parcel of land on April 5, 1837, the park was born, transformed, and eventually born again as a National Monument.  The park is public space, historic space, and adored by Village residents and visitors alike.  In many ways, Christopher Park reflects everything […]

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, designated in 2016, would fall within this review, many individuals and advocacy groups have voiced their concerns that the current administration might strip the monument […]

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 Stonewall Riots were a tipping point for the Gay Liberation movement in the United States. Celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia, and concerts. […]

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 South Village at 186 Spring Street — a hotbed of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) civil rights activity in the post-Stonewall era.  In fact, […]

Black History Month in the Village: African-American & LGBT Historic Sites

February is Black History Month.  We here at GVSHP are celebrating it by highlighting different sites of significance to the African-American community within our neighborhoods.  We’re focusing on sites found on our new Civil Rights & Social Justice Map, discussing their connections to African-American History and the Civil Rights Movement.

GVSHP Keeping up the Fight

During the holiday season we reflect back on the past year.  Here at GVSHP we’ve certainly had some big accomplishments.  We have also had a lot of wonderful support from our members and neighbors, but we need your help to continue the fight.  Please consider GVSHP in your year-end giving! Alice Carey and Geoffrey Knox, […]

The History of the Rainbow Flag

Last week’s landmark Supreme Court decision ruling that same-sex couples can marry nationwide occurred nearly 46 years to the day after the famed Stonewall Inn Riot. Supporters continue to show their elation with rainbow colored-everything – from banners and socks to layer cake and even a Facebook app that lets you shade your profile picture […]

Diana Davies Collection of Historic LGBT Images

Following on some groundbreaking events last week – the LPC designation of the Stonewall Inn as the city’s first LGBT individual landmark and then the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality – we thought we’d feature some historic images taken by photographer Diana Davies. Yesterday, we also celebrated the 46th anniversary of the June 28, […]

Village People: Dave Van Ronk

(This post is part of a series called Village People: A Who’s Who of Greenwich Village, which will explore some of this intern’s favorite Village people and stories.) Dave Van Ronk came to the Village in the 1950s, after twice shipping out with the Merchant Marine. He lived at 15 Sheridan Square, a section of […]

Revitalizing a ‘Gateway to the West Village’

It may be a hazy West Village memory now, but there was a time in the recent past when some local parks were not the well-kept, well-used green spaces they are today, but sometimes barren or forbidding places. Now Christopher Park — a .19-acre triangle formed by Christopher, Grove and West Fourth Streets — will […]

This Day in History: Robert F. Kennedy Assassinated

On June 5, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, as he left the ballroom after giving his victory speech following his win in the California Presidential Primary.  Many believed his primary victory would lead to securing the Democratic nomination for President, and the Presidency. This was one of many assassinations […]

Before Stonewall: The “Sip In” at Julius’

GVSHP recently received an inquiry from a researcher looking for information about the historic 1966 “Sip In” that took place at the bar Julius’. This seminal protest, which challenged the regulation that bars were not allowed to serve homosexuals, took place three years before the historic Stonewall Rebellion. While there are many resources for those […]