The National Trust for Historic Preservation has put out its annual rankings of U.S. history heritage that are in danger of disappearing—and two of them aren’t even in the U.S.
The Trust, which has been putting out the annual list since 1988, says it’s a “highly effective tool for shining a light on the threats facing our nation’s greatest treasures,” and that being included on the list has often led to action to preserve listed places.
Perhaps the most unusual item on the list is the American Legation building in Tangier, Morocco. Given to the U.S. in 1821 by the Sultan of Morocco, it was the first U.S. public property located outside the United States, and served as a U.S. diplomatic outpost into the 1960s. Morocco was the first country to formally recognize U.S. independence.
The list for 2024:
Cindy Walker House, Mexia, Texas
Trailblazing country music songwriter Cindy Walker (1917-2006) lived and worked in her Mexia, Texas home for over 50 years, penning Top 10 hits across five decades. Unfortunately, like many female artists, Cindy Walker was largely overlooked in her lifetime, and so too is her historic home. Since her death in 2006, the property has suffered foundation issues and roof leaks, leading to significant interior damage. Supporters and Walker’s family members are working to preserve both the home and Cindy Walker’s inspiring legacy as one of country music’s finest composers.
Eatonville, Florida
Eatonville, Florida, was one of the first self-governing all-Black municipalities in the United States, and the hometown of iconic author, folklorist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston. Many historic buildings in Eatonville need investment, rehabilitation, and protection from development pressures. Efforts to celebrate the community’s significance and advocate for preservation of the town’s historic resources are ongoing and in need of increased funding and support.
Estate Whim Museum, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Established during the colonization of St. Croix by Denmark, Estate Whim was a plantation producing cotton and sugar for export. The lives and legacies of those enslaved by plantation owners and those who continued to labor there for meager wages for a century after emancipation are inextricably tied to the site, which now hosts a museum, library and archives, and public programming. Repeated hurricanes have damaged many of Estate Whim Museum’s historic buildings and structures, and the site steward needs support and resources to move forward with repairs.
Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, Athens, New York
Opened in 1874, the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse used to be one of several “middle-of-the-river” lighthouses on the Hudson River. Now it’s one of only two left standing. However, due to erosion and other preservation challenges, engineering reports indicate the building is at risk of collapse within three years if no action is taken. Advocates are working to raise the funding needed to preserve the site and keep the lighthouse open to the public.
Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California
Little Tokyo is one of only four remaining Japantowns in the United States and one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, but its unique character is endangered by large-scale development and transit projects and displacement of legacy businesses and restaurants. Support for local preservation organizations, investment in policy initiatives, and continued community advocacy efforts could help protect both the people and the institutions that make Little Tokyo irreplaceable.
Minute Man National Historical Park, Walden, and nearby landmarks, Massachusetts
Minute Man National Historical Park and the nearby areas of Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, and Bedford are home to places of great significance in American history, including Walden Pond and Woods and the preserved homesteads of authors and environmentalists:Little Women’s Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau. A proposed major expansion of nearby Hanscom Field airport could significantly increase private jet traffic, leading to increased noise, vehicular traffic, and negative environmental and climate impacts. A strong coalition has formed in opposition to this expansion, arguing that such an extraordinarily important historic area should not be impaired by a development of this scale and potential impact.
New Salem Baptist Church, Tams, West Virginia
Built in the coal company town of Tams in 1921, the New Salem Baptist Church is one of the last physical reminders of that community and helps tell the story of Black coal miners and their families in West Virginia. Although community support for the church is strong, the building needs more upkeep and repairs than the small congregation can currently handle. More funding and partnerships are needed to fully preserve the church and ensure that it can remain part of community life for years to come.
Roosevelt High School, Gary, Indiana
Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary was built in 1930 specifically to serve the educational needs of Black Americans, and has notable alumni including professional athletes, well-known actors, and members of The Jackson 5. The school has been unoccupied and deteriorating since 2019. A coalition of organizations are working together to restore and reuse the site in a way that honors the school’s historic significance to Gary, Indiana.
Sitka Tlingit Clan Houses, Sitka, Alaska
The Sitka Tlingit Clan Houses in southeast Alaska are critically important to both the history and the future of the Lingít (commonly spelled in English as “Tlingit”). For many years, the matrilineal clan structure of multigenerational extended families living together in clan houses was discouraged in favor of the western practice of living with nuclear families. Today, only eight of the original 43 clan houses remain and even fewer still function as clan houses in the traditional way, as part of Tlingit hereditary matrilineal identity and centers of ceremony and tradition. Tlingit tribal citizens and allies are working to preserve and celebrate the Sitka Tlingit Clan Houses and the Tlingit traditions through preservation, new construction, and ownership restoration of clan properties.
Tangier American Legation, Tangier, Morocco
In 1821, the Tangier American Legation in Morocco was gifted to the United States by the Moroccan Sultan as a token of friendship, becoming the first American public property located abroad, and subsequently served as a U.S. diplomatic mission for a record 140 years. Now a cultural center, museum, and research library, the Legation is in urgent need of structural stabilization and repairs following the recent collapse of an adjacent building, so it can continue serving the community and telling the story of U.S. diplomacy for generations to come.
Wilderness Battlefield Area, Orange County, Virginia
The Battle of the Wilderness marked a pivotal turning point in the Civil War, but today not all the historically significant landscape is protected. Proposed large new developments, including millions of square feet of industrial data and distribution centers and thousands of homes, may negatively impact important historic sites and landscapes and degrade the visitor experience. A broad coalition has formed to encourage Orange County decisionmakers to build upon past planning efforts and avoid potential significant impacts of development in the Wilderness Battlefield area.
Image: American Legation, Morocco (Diego Delso/Wikimedia Commons)
