Sacramento LGBTQ+ Historic Context Statement

The LGBTQ+ community has long played a vital role in Sacramento’s history, though for much of that time, its presence was hidden. In 2023, the City of Sacramento secured a Certified Local Government grant from the California Office of Historic Preservation to create a historic context statement and survey dedicated to documenting LGBTQ+ history and related historic resources in the city. The City contracted with Page & Turnbull to conduct primary and secondary historic research, complete the survey, and prepare the documentation.

Because of persistent discrimination, much of this history was preserved only in the memories of individuals, making community engagement a crucial part of the project. Community members, representing the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community, contributed by sharing their stories through public meetings, oral histories, and interviews. They also played an active role in research efforts, combing through archives, assisting with a survey of the Lavender Heights neighborhood, creating maps and graphics, and reviewing drafts.

The resulting historic context statement sheds much-needed light on Sacramento’s LGBTQ+ history and helps address historical gaps by identifying significant sites, people, and events. Additional project outcomes included recognizing the Lavender Heights neighborhood as an eligible local historic district and identifying over 100 properties with historical ties to the LGBTQ+ community, five of which Page & Turnbull found eligible as local Sacramento Landmarks.