Julius': New York City's Oldest Bar (by Tiffany Denault)

Julius':

New York City’s Oldest Bar

    Sitting on the corner of West 10th and Waverly Place in New York, New York, is a bar named Julius’. Julius’ is New York City’s oldest bar and was constructed in the 19th Century as a dry goods store. (1) The current building is composed of two buildings, and one can see the difference in the height of the ceilings when inside. The interior of Julius’ has kept history alive by using the original wagon wheel light fixtures and basset hound footrests. (2)

    The bar dates back to the Prohibition era, and possibly before, and has names and dates carved into it from multiple decades. (3) During the Prohibition era, Julius’ was a popular speakeasy that had seven different entrances. If the city shut down one door during a raid, another exit was used instead. In the basement, there is an old tunnel leading across the street, which served as an escape route during prohibition and the gay bar raids of the 1960s. (4)

     On April 21st of 1966, the Mattachine Society of New York organized an event that would be later known as a “Sip-In” and was inspired y the sit-ins of the Black Civil Rights Movement. (5) The Mattachine Society was one of the first gay rights organizations in the United States. They organized this action to protest a state law that stopped bars from serving gay men or lesbians or even those who were suspected as such. (6) This was significant because, at the time, bars were one of the few places that gay people could go to meet one another.  

  The Sip-In started with Dick Leitsch, Craig Rodwell, and John Timmons, who, joined by reporters, went around to bars announcing that they were homosexuals and then asked to be served. (7) At the first stop, the bar was closed, but at the next two, they were served. (8) The next stop was Julius’, where they were joined by Randy Wicker. The bartender refused to serve them, as the bar was recently raided. (9) Dick Leitsch told the New York Times:

“…when we walked in, the bartender put glasses in front of us, and we told him that we were gay and we intended to remain orderly, we just wanted service. And he said, hey, you’re gay, I can’t serve you, and he put his hands over the top of the glass, which made wonderful photographs.” (10)

    This event resulted in a change of policy, leading to the more open gay bar culture widely seen today. (11) Although not as well known, the Sip-In was one of the most significant acts of gay rights activism that happened before the Stonewall Uprising in 1969.

    It is important to know the history of this site, as it illustrates that the American LGBTQ Rights Movement began years before Stonewall. . When many people think of the earliest form of gay rights activism, they typically think of the Stonewall Uprising, though the Mattachine Sip-In occurred several years before. The history of Julius’ is often forgotten, or even overlooked, though it was the place of the 1966 Sip-In, which helped gay bars gain legitimacy in New York State.
    Even today Julius' has weekly Mattachine nights every third Thursday of the month. Juluis' has never forgotten where they came from, and show it by referencing their history on their website and the walls of the bar.

Notes

1."The Secret History of Julius', the Oldest Gay Bar in NYC." 6sqft. July 21, 2020. https://www.6sqft.com/the-secret-history-of-julius-the-oldest-gay-bar-in-nyc/.

2.Ibid

3.Ibid

4.Ibid

5."Gay Bar, Mattachine Night, Drink Specials, Party Venue: New York, NY." Gay Bar, Mattachine Night, Drink Specials, Party Venue | New York, NY. https://www.juliusbarny.com/.

6."The Secret History of Julius', the Oldest Gay Bar in NYC." 6sqft. July 21, 2020. https://www.6sqft.com/the-secret-history-of-julius-the-oldest-gay-bar-in-nyc/.

7.Ibid

8."Before the Stonewall Uprising, There Was the 'Sip-In'." The New York Times. April 20, 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/21/nyregion/before-the-stonewall-riots-there-was-the-sip-in.html.

9.Ibid

10."Dick Leitsch, Whose 'Sip-In' Was a Gay Rights Milestone, Dies at 83." The New York Times. June 23, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/obituaries/dick-leitsch-dead.html.

Bibliography

Farber, Jim. "Before the Stonewall Uprising, There Was the 'Sip-In'." The New York Times. April 20, 2016. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/21/nyregion/before-the-stonewall-riots-there-was-the-sip-in.html.

Gage, Simon, and Stephen Unwin. 2018. “The Big Trip: New York City.” Gay Times (09506101), June, 142–43.http://search.ebscohost.com.dbsearch.fredonia.edu:2048/login.aspx?direct=true&db=qth&AN=130112710&site=ehost-live/ .

"Gay Bar, Mattachine Night, Drink Specials, Party Venue: New York, NY." Gay Bar, Mattachine Night, Drink Specials, Party Venue | New York, NY. https://www.juliusbarny.com/.

"Julius'." NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project. https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/julius/.

Murray, James And Karla. "The Secret History of Julius', the Oldest Gay Bar in NYC." 6sqft. July 21, 2020. https://www.6sqft.com/the-secret-history-of-julius-the-oldest-gay-bar-in-nyc/.

Robert. "Dick Leitsch, Whose 'Sip-In' Was a Gay Rights Milestone, Dies at 83." The New York Times. June 23, 2018. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/obituaries/dick-leitsch-dead.html.