May is observed nationally as Preservation Month. As New York City’s largest neighborhood historic preservation organization, now in our 47th year, the meaning of preservation is central to our mission. It’s a way of collectively telling our story, expressing our values, and allowing an understanding of the past to shape our present and future. As we approach our country’s 250th birthday, taking a fulsome look at who we are, where we’ve been, and where we want to go seems not only appropriate but necessary. 

Village Preservation has worked hard over the years to expand the boundaries of preservation, to include underrepresented histories, overlooked movements, and critical but ignored contributions to our city’s and country’s stories. We’ve had amazing success with groundbreaking designations going back almost 30 years, and are currently waging multiple battles to get the City to recognize and protect more of these sites — in many cases against fierce resistance by the City itself. 

So we’re looking back at the many fights we’ve waged for landmark designation of sites connected to LGBTQ+ history, Black history, women’s history, immigrant history, affordable housing, Hispanic/Latino history, and the history of people with disabilities, especially the fights we’re still waging and need to win. 

And join us on June 16 for a free virtual lecture: “Still Unprotected: The Unrecognized LGBTQ+ Landmarks of Greenwich Village and the East Village.”