Park Slope's Lesbian Herstory Archive Could Be Landmarked

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — Efforts to designate a Park Slope lesbian archive — thought to be the largest of its kind in the world — as a historic landmark are one step closer to becoming a reality.

The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to calendar a proposal giving the Lesbian Herstory Archives historic landmark status. Calendaring, as its name suggests, is the first step in the preservation process, followed by a public hearing and a public landmark designation vote.

"As a nationally important collection of LGBTQ historical materials the Lesbian Herstory Archives plays an essential role in telling the story of a mostly unseen community of women who contributed to America's cultural, political and social history," said Margaret Herman, the commission's deputy director of research, at Tuesday's hearing.

Located on 14th Street between Prospect Park West and Eighth Avenue, the Lesbian Herstory Archives is within the Park Slope Historic District, designated by the commission in 1973 — a year before the archive was founded and nearly two decades before it moved to Park Slope, meaning it is left out the district's history.

"There's no mention of the building's role in LGBTQ and women's history," said Herman.

"Designating 484 14th Street as an individual landmark would highlight this important story and emphasize an additional period of significance associated with the Lesbian Herstory Archives."

Founded on the Upper West Side by a group of lesbian, feminist activists, the archive catalogues national lesbian life and culture through periodicals, oral histories and personal and professional papers alike.

Highlights include a recording of Audre Lorde's famous "The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master’s House" speech delivered at the Second Sex Conference at NYU in 1979, promotional material from the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (held that same year) and personal photos from the collection of Black lesbian activist Mabel Hampton.

For over three decades, the volunteer-run, non-profit archive has housed its collection at 484 14th Street, which also serves as a cultural center and event space.

Speaking on behalf of the commission's research department, Herman recommended that the Archives' historic preservation proposal move forward, citing the non-profit's diligent care for its building and historical significance.

Following the unanimous vote, Sarah Carroll, a commissioner and chair of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, said the Lesbian Herstory Archives proposal would be considered at a public meeting in the "near future."

"I'm very excited to be recognizing the Lesbian Herstory Archives in this particular moment as we wrap up Pride month and also recognize the significance of women in our nation today," she said.

The archive proposal is the latest step in the commission's ongoing efforts to preserve LGBTQ city landmarks, often in collaboration with the NYC LGBTQ Historic Sites Project, said Carroll.