LGBT History

of Greenwich Village

A Guide to Lesbian & Gay New York Historical Landmarks

In 1994, the Organization of Lesbian + Gay Architects and Designers (OLGAD) researched and designed a walking guide map featuring historic landmarks of gay and lesbian New York City. GVSHP is pleased to present the information provided about Greenwich Village with their permission. CLICK HERE to view a Google Maps version of the guide map.

"OLGAD welcomes you to New York City, the East Coast's epicenter of lesbian and gay life, culture, and history. In celebrating the advances made since the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion, it is not only important to look toward the future, but to also acknowledge our past. Our aim is to provide visitors and residents with a physical connection to that past.

This guide, developed by OLGAD's Preservation + History Committee, presents snapshots of our collective identity by documenting site-specific locations associated with lesbian and gay history in three New York City neighborhoods--Greenwich Village, Midtown, and Harlem (plus a few sites elsewhere, identified on the Manhattan Map. These sites represent a sampling of the people, events, and institutions that have made New York City a magnet for lesbians and gay men since the 19th century."

GVSHP Nominates 101 Avenue A (site of the Pyramid Club) for NYC Landmark Status, Fall 2007

In our nomination for 101 Avenue A as a New York City landmark, GVSHP highlighted and documented the important role that the Pyramid Club, located in the ground floor of the building, played in launching a new generation of politically-conscious drag performers in the late 1980's, and in the founding of the annual Wigstock drag festival.  The club was central to the "Downtown Scene" of the era and nurtured performance artists and young performers including Madonna, Nirvana, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  In the late 1960's, Warhol superstar Nico also lived in the second floor apartment above the club. 

To see GVSHP's nomination for 101 Avenue A, go to: http://www.gvshp.org/documents/101AveAHistory.pdf

Recent Press Coverage: The Villager | Gay City News | Downtown Express

GVSHP Nominates Webster Hall for NYC Landmark Status, Summer 2007

GVSHP highlighted Webster Hall’s early 20th century drag balls and gay and lesbian-inclusive celebrations and political events as part of the important social and cultural history which formed the basis for our nominating the site for landmark status. The site is currently under consideration by the Landmarks Preservation Commission; see www.gvshp.org/websterhall.htm.

Stonewall District National Register of Historic Places Report

The first site listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its association with Lesbian and Gay history Designation sponsored by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and the Organization of Lesbian and Gay Architects

Text and Photos from the State and National Register

CLICK HERE for more information on the designation of the Stonewall National Register of Historic Places District

Gansevoort Market Historic District Designation Report Designated September, 2003,nominated by GVSHP's Save Gansevoort Market project

Includes history of gay establishments in the area and the area's historic role in New York's gay community

NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Designation Report (part 1)

NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Designation Report (part 2)

127 MacDougal Street Landmark Designation Report Designated June, 2004, nominated by GVSHP and the NY Landmarks Conservancy

Includes history of early Lesbian and Gay establishments on MacDougal Street

NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Designation Report

129 MacDougal Street Landmark Designation Report Designated June, 2004, nominated by GVSHP and the NY Landmarks Conservancy

Includes history of early Lesbian and Gay establishments on MacDougal Street

NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Designation Report

131 MacDougal Street Landmark Designation Report Designated June, 2004, nominated by GVSHP and the NY Landmarks Conservancy

Includes history of early Lesbian and Gay establishments on MacDougal Street

NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Designation Report

Weehawken Street Historic District Designation Report Designated May, 2005 in response to GVSHP's 'Campaign to Save the Far West Village'

Includes history of gay establishments in the area and the area's historic role in New York's gay community

NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Designation Report

Report: Proposal for a South Village Historic District Written by Andrew Dolkart, commissioned by GVSHP to support proposal for a South Village Historic District

Includes role history of MacDougal, Bleecker, and West 3rd Streets in the late 19th/early 20th centuries as the center of lesbian and gay life in New York (see pp.66-67)

CLICK HERE for PDF version.

If you are interested in Greenwich Village, join us.

Greenwich Village Society
For Historic Preservation
232 East 11th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-475-9585
gvshp@gvshp.org