Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn designated as New York City landmark

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to designate the Stonewall Inn at 51-53 Christopher Street in Manhattan as an individual landmark.

The site was the starting point of the Stonewall Rebellion, and is one of the most important sites associated with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) history in New York City and the nation. This marks the first time a site is designated as a New York City Landmark primarily for its significance to LGBT history.

The Stonewall Inn had already marked its place in history, where gay rights liberation proclaims its birth.

What it won Tuesday was more than just the physical preservation of the landmark building. Up for consideration before the commission was a landmark designation.

"Individual landmark status will ensure that features of the building will receive protection, especially if there are future applications for substantial alterations," said Andrea Goldwyn of New York Landmarks Conservancy.

It was also urged by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

"This building was definitely vulnerable to alteration, and its incredible history and connection to the LGBT civil rights movement wasn't a part of the official record," said the society's executive director Andrew Berman.

Speaker after speaker, though, at the commission's public hearing described the inn as the site where riots broke out in June of 1969 after a police crackdown on gay clubs.

Strong support came from those who lived the history.."I was arrested on the second and largest night, demonstration of the Stonewall riots," said protester Gil Horowitz.

To those recognizing more than just the building's role in history. "It will reflect New York City's appreciation of our history, the LGBT community's history," said City Council member Corey Johnson.

Preservationists say, like other historical sites, there are many different elements that are intertwined n the designation and preservation process.

"Although New York should have been in the forefront of such designations, it has not been so we need to catch up," said professor of historic preservation Andrew Doleart.

"It will be a challenge for us to figure out how to do it," said L.P.C. Commissioner Michael Goldblum. "I think it's an exciting challenge we should embrace and I know we will."

So on this day at 51-53 Christopher Street, the preservation of a historical building, the struggle for LGBT civil rights and a changing recognition of historical sites all came together to write yet another new chapter in history.

In the late 1960s, when few establishments welcomed gays and lesbians and repressive laws made it impossible for a gay bar to obtain a liquor license, police raids on gay and lesbian clubs were routine.

At about 1:20 a.m. on June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn was raided as part of a crackdown on New York City gay clubs. Instead of leaving the premises, the patrons of the bar remained waiting in front of the club where they were joined by friends and passersby, mostly members of the LGBT community.

As the crowd grew, its members became increasingly angry at the rough treatment some prisoners were receiving and resentful of the unfairness of the situation. For more than two hours, the crowd fought back while anti-riot police tried to clear the streets. The protests and confrontations continued for the next few days until almost midnight Wednesday July 2, 1969, with the Stonewall Inn often at the center of events.

The Stonewall uprising ushered in a new phase in the LGBT Liberation Movement. Within a few months, in direct response to Stonewall, several activist organizations were formed in New York City, including the Gay Liberation Front, the Gay Activists Alliance, Radicalesbians, and the Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries. Soon new organizations were being established across the U.S. and around the world to promote LGBT civil rights.

On June 28, 1970, the first anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion was commemorated as Christopher Street Liberation Day. The main event was a march from Greenwich Village to Central Park. That same day, Pride marches were also held in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago in commemoration of Stonewall. Those celebrations have since grown into the internationally-celebrated LGBT Pride Month, with events held annually throughout the world.

The two buildings that comprised the Stonewall Inn were originally built in the 1840s as stables, and in 1930 were merged at the first story and given a unified faade. Their combined ground floor commercial space originally housed a bakery, and in 1934 it was taken over by the Stonewall Inn Restaurant. The property reopened in 1967 as a gay club, retaining the name Stonewall Inn.

"New York City's greatness lies in its inclusivity and diversity," Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said. "The events at Stonewall were a turning point in the LGBT rights movement and in the history of our nation. This building is a symbol of a time when LGBT New Yorkers took a stand and vowed that they would no longer live in the shadows, standing up for the equal rights of all New Yorkers. I am proud that the Commission has designated this very special site as an individual landmark and that we have officially recognized the significance of the Stonewall Inn to the history of our city."

From the time of the Stonewall Rebellion, the buildings still retain their brick cladding, arched entrances, small storefront windows (associated with LGBT bars of the 1960s), and stuccoed upper stories.

The Stonewall Inn is already within the Greenwich Village Historic District, which was designated on April 29, 1969 -- just months before the Stonewall uprising. In recognition of the importance of the Stonewall Rebellion, the Commission is now designating the Stonewall Inn as an individual New York City Landmark.