Landmarks considers Stonewall Inn for historic status

Greenwich Village bar is the birthplace of the 1969 gay rights movement

The Stonewall Inn at 53 Christopher Street in Greenwich Village
The Stonewall Inn at 53 Christopher Street in Greenwich Village

The Stonewall Inn, The Bar Many View As The Place where the gay rights movement started in 1969, may become an official landmark.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission is considering the move, according to DNAinfo, which has been supported by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

“This is a long-overdue move to recognize the incredibly important role this site and the riots connected to it have in the struggle for LGBT rights in this country and worldwide,” Andrew Berman, executive director of the Society, told DNAinfo. “It is critical that the history of sites like Stonewall and the immeasurably important role they played in making our country a more just, open, and accepting place, is recognized and preserved.”

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If designated as a historical site, the Stonewall Inn wouldn’t be able to be altered or torn down.

The Society also hopes that Julius’ — one of the city’s oldest gay bars — on West 10th Street will be designated as an official landmark. [DNAinfo] — Claire Moses