Historic Greenwich Village gay bar declared a city landmark after decade-long effort
New York City’s oldest gay bar earned landmark recognition Tuesday after a 10-year campaign to honor the Greenwich Village location.
The venerable Julius’ Bar, one of Manhattan’s oldest continuously operating taverns, received the new status exactly one decade after the Village Preservation organization took up the cause for the circa 1825 building at 159 W. 10th St.
“Julius’ finally has the landmark status it deserves,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation. “This is a huge step forward in recognizing our city’s history as a refuge and home to the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ community.”
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Committee voted Tuesday morning for the designation, insuring Julius’ site was protected from demolition or alteration in the future.
The bar was famously the site of a 1966 “Sip-In” protest against regulations that criminalized gay bars at the time, an event held full three years before the Stonewall Inn riots. The civil disobedience action was among the first organized events supporting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
The Stonewall was landmarked in 2015.
“This is an integral part of New York and American history, and these stories and places must be honored and preserved,” said Berman. “We praise the city for taking this long-overdue action and urge them to keep going.”
Six years ago, Village Preservation teamed up with the estate of Village Voice photographer Fred McDarrah, who shot the scene at the “Sip-In,” in an effort to raise awareness and money to preserve the historic location.
And earlier this year, a plaque honoring the site was unveiled with participants and organizers in attendance. Berman said it was about time that the venerable bar received recognition.
“For too long New York’s LGBTQ+ history has been overlooked and ignored, particularly the role Greenwich Village played in advancing this critical civil rights movement and embracing and supporting marginalized communities,” said Berman.
