America’s 11 most endangered historical landmarks

From a former enslaved person's home to the nation’s most famous highway, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has highlighted both well-known and overlooked sites in its 2018 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

Over the last 31 years, nearly 300 locations have made the list, with a remarkable success rate: less than 5% of the sites listed have been lost.

The National Trust publishes this annual list to draw attention to architectural and cultural treasures at risk of being lost to time without proactive preservation efforts.

The 2018 list features a diverse range of historic sites under threat from factors such as neglect, natural disasters, or development projects that could alter the character of these national landmarks, according to Stephanie K. Meeks, President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

“For over three decades, our '11 Most Endangered Historic Places' list has spotlighted threatened, irreplaceable treasures across the nation and mobilized Americans to join local efforts to preserve them,” says Meeks.

“From the East L.A. Chicano Student Walkout schools to the iconic Route 66, America’s Mother Road, and historic sites in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands severely impacted by last year’s hurricanes, this year’s list highlights both the diversity of America’s historic landmarks and the many threats they face,”

“As we’ve done for over 30 years, we hope this list motivates people to advocate for the treasured places in their communities that tell the story of our nation’s history,”

A twelfth location, consisting of four towns in Vermont’s Upper Valley, has been placed on Watch Status, which the National Trust uses to draw attention to a growing threat to a historic site. However, officials note there are viable solutions to mitigate or prevent the danger.

1. Annapolis City Dock Area – Annapolis, Maryland

A proposed re-zoning of parts of the Colonial Annapolis Historic District threatens to disrupt the area’s 'quality of life and heritage tourism economy,' and could 'permanently reduce its charm and stunning views,' according to the National Trust.

2. Ashley River Historic District – Charleston County, South Carolina

This historic Lowcountry district in South Carolina is at risk, as the National Trust warns that an annexation proposal could trigger zoning changes and heavy development that would irreparably damage the area’s historic landscape.

3. Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte Memorial Hospital – Walthill, Nebraska

Named after the first Native American woman in the U.S. to earn a medical degree, this hospital may have been the first healthcare facility built for a Native American reservation without federal funding.

4. Historic Resources of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands

In the aftermath of the 2017 hurricanes, thousands of historic and cultural sites across Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands were severely damaged. Recovery has been slow, with ongoing challenges due to limited financial resources and building materials.

5. Isaiah T. Montgomery House – Mound Bayou, Mississippi

One of the first all-black towns in America, Mound Bayou was created by former enslaved person Isaiah T. Montgomery after the Civil War. Situated in the Mississippi Delta, Montgomery’s residence is in urgent need of restoration.

6. Larimer Square – Denver, Colorado

As Denver’s first commercial block and the city’s inaugural historic district, Larimer Square has long been recognized as a national example of revitalizing neighborhoods through preservation. However, the National Trust warns that a development proposal threatening to demolish parts of the square and build two high-rise towers jeopardizes its protected status.

7. Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses – Bridgeport, Connecticut

The Freeman Houses, possibly the oldest African American-built residences in Connecticut, have been abandoned for years and are in desperate need of restoration. They represent a significant chapter in the history of the free black community in the North before the Civil War.

8. Mount Vernon and Piscataway National Park – Mount Vernon, Virginia and Accokeek, Maryland

A proposal to build a gas compressor station across the Potomac River from Mount Vernon, and near Piscataway National Park, could “negatively affect the historic vistas of Mt. Vernon and the natural beauty of Piscataway National Park,” according to the National Trust.

9. Route 66

The iconic Route 66 represents America's passion for the open road. Although Congress is moving toward officially designating Route 66 as a National Historic Trail, the U.S. Senate must pass a bill, which the President would then need to sign, to make the designation permanent, according to the National Trust.

10. Ship on the Desert – Salt Flat, Texas

Located in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, this early Modernist house in West Texas has suffered from neglect and requires restoration before it can be reopened to the public, as it is currently closed.

11. Walkout Schools of Los Angeles – Los Angeles, California

The Walkout Schools in East L.A. are five historic campuses that played a pivotal role in the 1968 East L.A. Chicano Student Walkouts, an event that helped ignite the Chicano Civil Rights Movement. These schools include James A. Garfield High School, Theodore Roosevelt High School, Abraham Lincoln High School, Belmont High School, and El Sereno Middle School (formerly Woodrow Wilson High School).

The school district has proposed the demolition of certain buildings.

12. Four Towns of Vermont’s Upper Valley – Royalton, Sharon, Strafford, and Tunbridge, Vermont

A proposed development in rural Vermont would drastically change the landscape of these four historic towns, along with their surrounding farms and forests, by constructing a new planned community, the National Trust warns.