Julius' bar pushing for landmark status to preserve important piece of LGBTQ+ history
NEW YORK -- A decades-long fight to preserve a piece of New York City history is proving to be worthwhile.
Julius' bar is the city's oldest gay bar. It was built almost 200 years ago.
As CBS2's John Dias reports, it's now one step closer to becoming a landmark.
The drinks, the laughs and the history all make Julius' in the West Village a perfect place for the LGBTQ+ community in New York City -- now and decades ago.
It's even been featured in movies, including the 1970s classic "The Boys in the Band."
"You walk in here, you go back in time," owner Helen Buford told Dias.
She wants to keep it that way.
"It's not pretention at all. You come in any way you want pretty much, and everybody is welcome," she said.
Buford and her late husband bought the iconic bar 23 years ago, knowing quite well the building's history. It was built in 1826.
"It was first a grocery store. Then, in the 1920s, it was a speakeasy," she said.
But it made its mark as a bar and became famous in 1966 when one of the earliest civil disobedience demonstrations for gay men happened there, known as the "Sip In."
Three man walked in, stated they were gay and ordered drinks. When they were denied service, it started a movement.
"It really helped transform society and rules and regulations in relation to gay people," said Andrew Berman, executive director of Village Preservation.
For almost a decade, Berman and Village Preservation have been working to get the building landmarked. Finally, it's being formally considered.
"It's such an incredibly important part of New York City history, of LGBT history, of American history," he said.
The landmark doesn't come with financial benefits, but would ensure the building is protected, so it can't be destroyed or altered -- preserving the great history that has meant to so much to countless people.
"I know I am not going to live forever. But if this bar can live on for future generations, that would make me very happy," said Buford.
The next step is a public hearing. Then, there will be a vote. The owner isn't sure when exactly that will happen, but she hopes it will be some time early next year.
Historians say the "Sip In" was a nonviolent protest and took place three years before the Stonewall Riots.