In June 1999, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated 51 and 53 Christopher Street and the surrounding area in Greenwich Village to be on the National Register of Historic Places, the first of significance to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. In a dedication ceremony, Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Interior John Berry stated, "Let it forever be remembered that here—on this spot—men and women stood proud, they stood fast, so that we may be who we are, we may work where we will, live where we choose and love whom our hearts desire." The Stonewall Inn was itself named a National Historic Landmark in February 2000.