Since 1988, America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has identified more than 145 national treasures threatened by neglect, insufficient funds, inappropriate development, or insensitive public policy. “In their amazing diversity, these places tell us who we are as a nation,” says Richard Moe, president of the National Trust. “They constitute an epic cultural narrative whose chapters include not only world-famous icons like MinuteMan National Historical Park but hidden treasures such as the elegant bathhouses of Hot Springs. Unless all of us become aware of the importance of our heritage and take action to preserve it, America’s past won’t have a future. That’s the real message of the 11 Most Endangered list.”

The 11 sites, as listed and presented on the National Trust Web site, are:

Urban Houses of Worship, nationwide. Whether churches, synagogues, meetinghouses, or mosques, America’s historic urban religious structures are among the nation’s most significant cultural treasures. In addition to being irreplaceable architectural landmarks, they are vital community anchors, feeding the poor, providing meeting space for Girl Scouts and AA groups, and offering social services ranging from daycare to homeless shelters. Today, they are falling victim to changing demographics, limited capital budgets, and soaring real-estate values.

Ocmulgee Old Fields Traditional Cultural Property, Macon, Ga. Embracing evidence of 12,000-year-old Ice Age settlements, numerous burial and ceremonial mounds, and valuable wildlife habitat, this one-time home of the Muscogee Creek Nation is threatened by a proposed multi-lane highway.

Amelia Earhart Memorial Bridge, Atchison, Kans. Opened in 1938 and now a memorial to a world-famous hometown heroine, this Missouri River span is slated for demolition and replacement with a new bridge, even though it is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

East Side and Middle Schools, Decorah, Iowa. A prominent local landmark and time-honored symbol of the hopes and dreams of generations of Decorah residents, the 1896 East Side School is empty, deteriorated, and—along with the adjoining Middle School built in 1922—facing an uncertain future.

Zuni Salt Lake and Sanctuary Zone, Catron and Cibola counties, N. Mex. Considered sacred by no less than six Native American tribes, this lake and its surrounding area are threatened by plans to strip-mine coal and build a 44-mile rail line that will destroy many burial and cultural sites and possibly drain the lake itself.

Little Manila, Stockton, Calif. Three modest buildings are the last survivors of the once-bustling neighborhood that housed the largest Filipino community outside the Philippines. They now could be demolished to make way for a strip-mall parking lot.

Minute Man National Historical Park and Environs, Bedford, Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington, Mass. Heavy air traffic, unchecked noise, and visual intrusions from a busy regional airport are taking a devastating toll on many important landmarks, especially this national park on the site where the American Revolution began.

TWA Terminal at JFK International Airport, New York City. The Port Authority plans to demolish portions of Eero Saarinen’s 1962 curvilinear masterpiece and construct a hulking new building behind it, rendering the Modern icon useless for aviation purposes. (The Port Authority’s plan)

Bathhouse Row, Hot Springs National Park, Garland County, Ark. Known for their eclectic architecture and decorative flourishes, six of the eight surviving buildings along Bathhouse Row are vacant and deteriorated and in need of viable plans for preservation and reuse.

United States Marine Hospital, Louisville, Ky. Constructed in 1851 through an act of Congress, this three-story Greek Revival landmark served the community and the nation faithfully for more than a century but is now unused and crumbling.

Michigan Boulevard Garden Apartments, Chicago. One of the nation’s foremost examples of visionary workforce housing, this 1929 apartment complex, constructed by philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, has been vacant for years, even though it has great reuse potential.

Copyright 2003 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved. Home Page