Stonewall National Monument Explained

Stonewall National Monument
Mapframe:yes
Coordinates:40.7339°N -74.0022°W
Location:West Village, Manhattan, New York City
Area:7.7acres near the intersection of Christopher Street and 7th Avenue South
Built:
  • Park:
  • Original building:
  • Stonewall opening:
  • Park rebuilt:
Governing Body:National Park Service
Website:Stonewall National Monument
Designation1:nrhp
Designation2:nhl
Designation3:nmon
Type:Cultural
Visitors Num:1,581,961
Visitors Year:2022

Stonewall National Monument is a 7.7acres U.S. national monument in the West Village neighborhood of Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan, New York City.[1] The designated area includes the Stonewall Inn, the 0.19acres Christopher Park, and nearby streets including Christopher Street, the site of the Stonewall riots of June 28, 1969, widely regarded as the start of the modern LGBT rights movement in the United States.

Stonewall National Monument is the first U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBT rights and history. President Barack Obama designated it as a national monument on June 24, 2016.

Early history

Stonewall National Monument includes and surrounds the 0.19acres[2] [3] Christopher Park (also known as Christopher Street Park), a park originally built on a lot that New Netherland Director-General Wouter van Twiller settled as a tobacco farm from 1633 to 1638, when he died. The land was subsequently split up into three different farms. Trinity Church's and Elbert Herring's farms were located in the southern part of van Twiller's former farm, and Sir Peter Warren's farm was located in the northern portion.[4]

Because of the unusual street grid that already existed in much of Greenwich Village, the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 would not quite fit into the pre-existing street grid. This resulted in several blocks with oblique angles, as well as many triangular street blocks. The former farms of Christopher Street were split into small lots from 1789 to 1829.[4] [5] After a subsequent large population increase in the early 19th century, the buildings on Christopher Street were dense with people.[4] [5]

In 1835, the Great Fire of New York spread through the area and destroyed many city blocks. The little triangle of land bounded by Christopher, Grove, and 4th Streets, which was burned down, was condemned and turned into a park.[4] [5] The new Christopher Street Park, designed by architects Calvert Vaux and Samuel Parsons Jr.,[6] was opened in 1837.[4] [5] The Stonewall Inn, which then consisted simply of two adjacent stables, opened across Christopher Street in 1843.[5]

The widening of 7th Avenue South, and the construction of the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line of the New York City Subway, effectively split the neighborhood into two pieces, separated by the now-widened avenue. By the 1940s, the area had deteriorated somewhat as people moved away.[4] [5] During the 1950s, the social demographics changed as "Beat poets" moved into Greenwich Village.[7] Meanwhile, the Stonewall Inn had changed uses; many different restaurants were housed in the inn from the 1930s through 1966.[5]

Role in riots and aftermath

In 1966, the Stonewall Inn Restaurant—which had been located within the inn since the 1950s—closed for renovations due to a fire that devastated the space. The restaurant re-opened as a tavern on March 18, 1967,[8] under ownership of the Genovese crime family of the Mafia.[9] The tavern was breaking rules on the sale of liquor, as it had no liquor license, but one officer of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) was reportedly accepting once-monthly bribes in exchange for allowing the tavern to go unlicensed.[5] [9] [10]

On June 27, 1969, the NYPD conducted a raid on the inn, now operating as a gay bar, under the pretense that the inn did not have a liquor license. Riots started in the ensuing days, where thousands of rioters protested against the NYPD's raid.[4] [5] The riots solidified the Stonewall Inn's status as a gay icon.[4] The park also played a significant role in the riots—people had gathered at the park the morning after the first day of rioting, discussing the events of the previous day.[10]

Later years

The park itself was in dire need of renovation, and so in the 1970s, the Friends of Christopher Park, which consisted entirely of volunteers mainly from the surrounding community, was created in order to oversee the park's upkeep. In 1983, NYC Parks embarked on a three-year, $130,000 project to rebuild the park to its original condition. Architect Philip Winslow planted new greenery and replaced the park's benches, walkways, light fixtures, and gates.[4]

In 1992, the Gay Liberation statue by George Segal was placed in Christopher Park, mirroring a near-identical statue at Stanford University.[4] [11] The statue consists of four white figures (two standing men and two seated women) positioned in "natural, easy" poses.[8] Non-LGBT-related monuments in the park include two 1936 works that commemorated American Civil War fighters: a pole that honors the Fire Zouaves, as well as a statue made of bronze that honors Union general Philip Sheridan.[4] [11] The park is surrounded by a fence that dates back to at least the late 19th century.[4] [11] In 2023, Randy Wicker launched a petition to remove the General Phil Sheridan statue from the park because of "Sheridan's massacre of Indigenous people."[12]

Meanwhile, across the street, the Stonewall Inn had changed hands many times from 1969 to the 1990s, finally resuming the role of a gay bar by the 1990s.[5]

Landmark statuses

In 1999, David Carter, Andrew Dolkart, Gale Harris, and Jay Shockley researched and wrote the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) report for Stonewall, which was officially sponsored by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. When the listing was designated on June 29, 1999, it included the Stonewall Inn building, Christopher Park, and nearby streets.[13] It became the nation's first NRHP listing, out of more than 70,000 listings at the time, dedicated exclusively to LGBT accomplishments.[14] That same area was declared a National Historic Landmark on February 16, 2000.[15] [16] [17]

On June 23, 2015, the Stonewall Inn became a New York City designated landmark,[18] [19] [20] making it the first city landmark to commemorate an LGBT icon.[21] The designation prompted Greenwich Village residents to lobby for the inn and the adjacent park to be labeled a national monument.[22] Some members of Manhattan Community Board 2 wrote a letter to the National Park Service (NPS) to request such a status for the Stonewall site.[22] The GVSHP also supported a national monument designation for the site.[3] In 2016, The Trust for Public Land helped New York City prepare the property for transfer.[23] The Trust for Public Land worked with the NPS and NYC Parks to preserve the Stonewall Inn and recast Christopher Park as the Stonewall National Monument.[24]

On June 24, 2016, President Barack Obama officially designated the Stonewall National Monument,[25] making it the United States' first national monument designated for an LGBT historic site.[26] The dedication ceremony was attended by New York City mayor Bill de Blasio; Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell; and the Stonewall Inn's owners.[27] Some attendees saw the dedication as important because the Orlando, Florida, nightclub shooting, which had occurred two weeks prior to the dedication, had claimed the lives of 49 people, many of them gay Latino Americans.[28] The national monument encompasses a 7.7acres area that includes the Stonewall Inn, Christopher Street Park, the block of Christopher Street bordering the park, and segments of some adjacent streets.[29] [30] Only the park was transferred to NPS ownership. The National Park Foundation formed a new nonprofit organization to raise $2 million in funds for a ranger station, visitor center, community activities, and interpretive exhibits for the monument.[31] [32] In October 2017, a rainbow LGBT flag was raised on the monument, making it the first officially maintained LGBT flag at a federal monument.[33]

The LGBT+ rights organization Pride Live tried to develop a visitor center for the monument for several years after its designation. Pride Live began negotiating with the owner of the property at 51 Christopher Street in 2019;[34] [35] that building included a vacant storefront that had formerly been part of the inn.[36] The building was placed for sale in June 2021, but Pride Live and the property owner ultimately came to an agreement. In June 2022, Pride Live announced that it would build the visitor center at 51 Christopher Street.[37] MBB Architects was hired to design the visitor center, while Local Projects was responsible for designing the exhibits.[38] Pride Live raised $3.2 million for its construction and development and plans to operate the center in cooperation with the NPS.[39] The visitor center opened on June 28, 2024, as the first official national visitors center dedicated to the LGBTQ+ experience to open anywhere in the world. Numerous politicians and celebrities participated in the inauguration ceremonies,[40] [41] and the New York City Subway's Christopher Street–Sheridan Square station was renamed the Christopher Street–Stonewall National Monument station on the same day.[40] [42]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tau. Byron. Obama Designates Stonewall National Monument to LGBT Rights. Wall Street Journal. June 24, 2016. June 24, 2016. June 24, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160624170211/http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/06/24/obama-designates-stonewall-national-monument-to-lgbt-rights/. live.
  2. Web site: Christopher Park : NYC Parks . New York City Department of Parks & Recreation . June 27, 2016 . August 5, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160805132434/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/christopher-park/ . live .
  3. Web site: Morowitz . Matthew . Making Christopher Park a National Park . . October 20, 2015 . June 27, 2016 . April 5, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160405020220/http://gvshp.org/blog/2015/10/20/making-christopher-park-a-national-park/ . live .
  4. Web site: Christopher Park Highlights : NYC Parks . New York City Department of Parks & Recreation . June 24, 2016 . September 11, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160911003030/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/christopher-park/history . live .
  5. Book: Alfred Pommer. Eleanor Winters. Exploring the Original West Village. 2011. The History Press. 978-1-60949-151-2. 35–37.
  6. Web site: Christopher Park . The Cultural Landscape Foundation . June 27, 2016 . August 27, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160827164446/http://tclf.org/landscapes/christopher-park . live .
  7. Adam, Barry (1987). The Rise of a Gay and Lesbian Movement, G. K. Hall & Co.
  8. Web site: Christopher Park Monuments: Gay Liberation. New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. June 24, 2016. May 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200528022256/https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/christopher-park/monuments/575. live.
  9. Duberman, Martin (1993). Stonewall, Penguin Books.
  10. Carter, David (2004). Stonewall: The Riots that Sparked the Gay Revolution, St. Martin's Press.
  11. Web site: Christopher Park: Bringing the Community Together . The Village Alliance . May 11, 2015 . June 27, 2016 . August 9, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160809085211/http://villagealliance.org/blog/2015/05/11/christopher-park-bringing-community-together/ . live .
  12. Web site: Damante. Becca. Randy Wicker. Out. November 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231023064249/https://www.out.com/out100/storytellers/randy-wicker. October 23, 2023. live.
  13. Web site: National Register of Historic Places Report. Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. October 1, 2014. September 24, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924024554/http://www.gvshp.org/documents/StonewallText.pdf. live.
  14. Web site: Dunlap . David W. . Stonewall, Gay Bar That Made History, Is Made a Landmark . The New York Times . June 26, 1999 . June 28, 2016 . July 11, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160711134351/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/26/nyregion/stonewall-gay-bar-that-made-history-is-made-a-landmark.html . live .
  15. Web site: National Historic Landmarks Program . Stonewall . National Park Service . 2008 . June 24, 2016 . February 21, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090221043726/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=-1888210723&ResourceType=Site . dead .
  16. Web site: David Carter . Andrew Scott Dolkart . Gale Harris . Jay Shockley . amp . National Historic Landmark Nomination: Stonewall (Text) . May 27, 1999 . National Park Service . June 24, 2016 . February 28, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210228182638/https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/99000562_text . live .
  17. Web site: David Carter . Andrew Scott Dolkart . Gale Harris . Jay Shockley . amp . National Historic Landmark Nomination: Stonewall (Photos) . National Park Service . May 27, 1999 . June 24, 2016 . February 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224145123/https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NHLS/99000562_photos . live .
  18. Web site: Curbed . Rejoice, Stonewall Inn Is Officially a New York City Landmark . Curbed NY . June 23, 2015 . June 25, 2016 . June 24, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160624232934/http://ny.curbed.com/2015/6/23/9947212/rejoice-stonewall-inn-is-officially-a-new-york-city-landmark . live .
  19. Brazee, Christopher D. et al. (June 23, 2015) Stonewall Inn Designation Report New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
  20. Web site: New York City Makes Stonewall Inn a Landmark . The New York Times . June 24, 2015 . August 28, 2019 . August 7, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190807173314/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/24/nyregion/new-york-city-makes-stonewall-inn-a-landmark.html . live .
  21. Web site: Tcholakian . Danielle . Stonewall Inn Is Officially a NYC Landmark in 'Unprecedented Move' . DNAinfo New York . June 23, 2015 . June 25, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160818142844/https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150623/civic-center/stonewall-inn-is-officially-nyc-landmark-unprecedented-move . August 18, 2016 . mdy-all .
  22. Web site: NYers Want Christopher Park To Be a National Monument. Rosenberg. Zoe. July 28, 2015. Curbed NY. June 25, 2016. August 11, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160811104435/http://ny.curbed.com/2015/7/28/9936106/nyers-want-christopher-park-to-be-a-national-monument. live.
  23. News: At Stonewall, a new national monument to the struggle for LGBT rights. The Trust for Public Land. August 8, 2018. en. June 30, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190630090845/https://www.tpl.org/blog/national-monument-declared-at-stonewall-inn#sm.000001tw1n9rvrfo8u6y3v8zmk5xa. live.
  24. Web site: Whose Parks, Which History? Why Monuments Have Become a National Flashpoint. Benepe. Adrian. August 18, 2017. Huffington Post. en-US. August 8, 2018. February 24, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240224172654/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/whose-parks-which-history-why-monuments-have-become_b_5997205ae4b033e0fbdec38e. live.
  25. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/24/president-obama-designates-stonewall-national-monument "President Obama Designates Stonewall National Monument"
  26. Orangias. Joe Joe. Simms. Jeannie. French. Sloane. August 4, 2017. The Cultural Functions and Social Potential of Queer Monuments: A Preliminary Inventory and Analysis. Journal of Homosexuality. 65. 6. 705–726. 10.1080/00918369.2017.1364106. 0091-8369. 28777713. 33573843.
  27. Web site: Officials Celebrate Stonewall Inn's Dedication as National Monument. Begley. Sarah. TIME.com. June 27, 2016 . June 27, 2016. June 27, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160627213105/http://time.com/4384532/stonewall-inn-dedication-national-monument/. live.
  28. Web site: Stonewall Inn Dedicated as National Monument to Gay Rights. ABC News. June 27, 2016.
  29. News: Stonewall Inn Named National Monument, a First for the Gay Rights Movement. Eli Rosenberg. The New York Times. June 24, 2016. June 25, 2016. May 6, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200506010607/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/nyregion/stonewall-inn-named-national-monument-a-first-for-gay-rights-movement.html. live.
  30. Web site: Mallin. Alexander. Obama Designates Stonewall as First National Monument for LGBT Rights. ABC News. June 24, 2016. June 25, 2016. August 5, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180805203124/https://abcnews.go.com/US/obama-designates-stonewall-national-monument-lgbt-rights/story?id=40107660. live.
  31. Web site: Karch . Lauren . National Park Foundation Plans to Raise $2 Million for new Stonewall National Monument – Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations . Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly . June 30, 2016 . July 2, 2016 . October 10, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161010190408/https://nonprofitquarterly.org/2016/06/30/national-park-foundation-plans-raise-2-million-new-stonewall-national-monument/ . live .
  32. Web site: With Stonewall, Obama designates first national monument to gay rights movement . Nakamura . David . Eilperin . Juliet . Washington Post . June 24, 2016 . June 24, 2016 . June 25, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160625123236/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/06/24/with-stonewall-obama-designates-first-national-momument-to-gay-rights-movement/ . live .
  33. News: For the first time ever, an LGBT pride flag will fly on federal land at the Stonewall monument. Ziv. Stav. October 5, 2017. Newsweek. October 7, 2017. en. September 9, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190909171859/https://www.newsweek.com/first-time-ever-lgbt-pride-flag-will-fly-federal-land-679118. live.
  34. Web site: Hickman . Matt . June 22, 2022 . New visitor center at Stonewall National Monument to kick off NYC Pride . February 24, 2024 . The Architect's Newspaper . February 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224032409/https://www.archpaper.com/2022/06/new-visitor-center-stonewall-national-monument-kick-off-nyc-pride/ . live .
  35. Web site: Bixby . Scott . June 9, 2021 . Landlords Squeeze Stonewall Just in Time for Pride . February 24, 2024 . The Daily Beast . February 23, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240223224224/https://www.thedailybeast.com/landlords-squeeze-stonewall-just-in-time-for-pride . live .
  36. News: Holpuch . Amanda . June 21, 2022 . A Stonewall Visitor Center Will Celebrate L.G.B.T.Q. History . February 24, 2024 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331 . February 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224013854/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/21/nyregion/stonewall-national-monument-visitor-center.html . live .
  37. Web site: Rajamani . Maya . June 22, 2022 . Stonewall National Monument visitor center to open in 2024 . February 24, 2024 . Spectrum News NY1 . February 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224013855/https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2022/06/22/stonewall-national-monument-visitor-center . live .
  38. Web site: Lockwood . Lisa . June 23, 2022 . Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center Breaks Ground Friday in New York . February 24, 2024 . WWD . February 24, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240224013908/https://wwd.com/business-news/human-resources/stonewall-national-monument-new-york-visitor-center-1235226297/ . live .
  39. Web site: Visitor Center For Stonewall National Monument Will Celebrate LGBTQ+ History . February 23, 2024 . www.nationalparkstraveler.org . en . February 23, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240223224831/https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2024/02/visitor-center-for-stonewall-national-monument-will-celebrate-lgbtq-history . live .
  40. News: Bahr. Sarah. 2024-06-28. On Pride Weekend, the Stonewall Visitor Center Opens. 2024-06-28. The New York Times. en-US. 0362-4331.
  41. Web site: Taitt . Phil . NYC Pride: President Joe Biden to visit Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center in Greenwich Village . ABC7 New York . June 28, 2024 . June 28, 2024. none.
    Web site: Alfonseca . Kiara . Stonewall Uprising veteran honors protest as historic LGBTQ center opens . ABC News . June 28, 2024 . June 28, 2024.
  42. Web site: NYC Pride: President Joe Biden visits Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center in Greenwich Village . ABC7 New York . June 28, 2024 . June 28, 2024.

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