When it comes to the acknowledging the importance of our history, there’s no time like the present. The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP) has taken advantage of this moment of national reckoning, highlighting five sites they have deemed to be culturally and historically important to the LGBTQ, African American, and women’s rights movements.

“We’ve been fighting to get these areas landmarked for over two years now, these five buildings we’ve highlighted because they’re prominent examples of the civil rights history connected to the neighborhood. They make very clear the argument for landmark designation in this area,” said Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

These five sites are symbolic of the struggles marginalized groups have faced in the last 100 or more years and important to commemorate as we navigate our ever-evolving society.

80 Fifth Avenue

Built in 1908, this building used to serve as both an office and factory space. Its ornate embellishments and graceful arches set it apart from surrounding buildings.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the fifth floor of this building served as the headquarters for what was then known as the National Gay task force, working for full freedom, justice, and equality for LGBTQ people. During its time in the building, the National LGBTQ task force ended the classification of homosexuality as a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association, and ended the ban of LGBTQ people from being employed by the federal government. These are just a few of the landmark accomplishments the task force has accomplished over decades of advocacy.

While the building isn’t in immediate danger of being torn down, there is a very real threat of owners changing distinct architectural ornaments on the facade of the building.

17 East 13th Street

Built in 1911, this building south of Union Square is now occupied by a coffee shop. But it once housed Gemor Press, a print shop owned by the writer Anais Nin from 1942-1947. Nin is now considered to be a prominent feminist figure, and important for women challenging conventionally defined gender roles. During its time in the building, Gemor Press published “Winter of Artifice,” and “The Hunger,” both of which are considered to be feminist classics.

70 Fifth Avenue

This twelve story office story is typical of the beaux-arts style that was prominent at the turn of the 20th century. Since it opened in 1912, the building has barely changed, with only a few minor alterations to the lobby.

In addition to its elegance, the building housed numerous civil rights organizations and has been described as a haven for liberal and forward-thinking ideas. Most notably, the building was the home of the NAACP, the African-American civil rights organization, from 1914 to the mid 1920s. From the building, the NAACP fought racism on a nation-wide level, fighting segregation of the federal workforce, protesting unsavory depictions of African Americans in the 1915 film “Birth of a Nation” among many other meaningful causes.

10 East 14th Street

This cast iron structure has stood since 1884, and has remained largely unchanged since then. In 1894, the New York City Woman Suffrage League moved into the building, and remained for the 23 years it took for the 19th amendment to pass, granting women the right to vote in New York in 1917.

This cast iron structure has stood since 1884, and has remained largely unchanged since then. In 1894, the New York City Woman Suffrage League moved into the building, and remained for the years it took for the 19th amendment to pass, granting women the right to vote in New York in 1917.

Considering the extreme development pressures this building faces, and the centennial of the 19th amendment being ratified nationally on August 18, this building deserves consideration as a national landmark.

55 Fifth Avenue

This pioneering modern loft building was one of the first of its kind when it was built in 1912. This building, however, is more than its design; it housed several recording studios that launched the careers of jazz and blues trailblazers. The Columbia Phonograph Company starting in 1924 supported African Americans such as Louis Armstrong, John Hammond, and Aretha Franklin.

Countless musicians made their names in the offices of 55 Fifth Ave, and with imminent threat of development, the time is now to protect these buildings.

Despite the importance of these buildings, Mayor Bill de Blasio and the Landmark Designation Committee have yet to approve them as protected historic sites. “I don’t know why Mayor de Blasio and the landmark designation commission haven’t yet,” said Berman. “They should. Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who represents the district where some of the buildings that were highlighted, has supported landmark designation. Councilwoman [Carlina] Rivera, who represents the rest of them, has not. I think only she can answer why she hasn’t supported them, but I do think it’s long overdue, it’s incredibly necessary, and I think that honoring the history of the African American, LGBTQ and women’s suffrage movement is right for our city to do.”