Henry Gerber House, Rock River Valley Travel Guide

Located at 1710 N Crilly Court in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood, the Henry Gerber House stands as a significant symbol in the history of LGBTQ+ rights in the United States. This unassuming brick row house, built in 1885 in the Queen Anne style, served as the residence of Henry Gerber from 1924 to 1925. During this time, Gerber founded the Society for Human Rights (SHR) here, the first chartered organization in the U.S. dedicated to advocating for the rights of homosexuals.Inspired by the gay rights movement he witnessed while serving in Germany, Gerber established the SHR and published its newsletter, *Friendship and Freedom*, the first documented gay civil rights publication in the country. The house served as a meeting place for early gay rights advocates who risked discrimination and persecution to publicly identify as homosexual. In 1925, the Chicago police raided the house, arresting Gerber and confiscating his property, effectively ending the Society's operations.Despite its short existence, the Society for Human Rights marked a turning point in the history of homosexuality in the United States. The Henry Gerber House is a reminder of the struggles and triumphs of the LGBTQ+ community. The house was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2001 and a National Historic Landmark in 2015. While the interior is not always open to the public, the exterior is worth visiting to appreciate its historical significance and the charm of the Old Town neighborhood.