2023 Most Endangered Historic Places in America list shows 'connections between people, place'
The National Trust for Historic Preservation released its annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places to raise awareness of sites that are part of the fabric that weaves together the nation’s story.
"The layered stories behind these places illustrate the complexities and challenges that have always been part of what it means to be American, but that have not always received the attention they deserve," Jay Clemens, interim president and CEO of the National Trust, said in a statement. “Losing any of them would diminish us all.”
For the first time in the list’s 36-year-old history, two Chinatowns on opposite coasts are featured, including one of the oldest Asian American neighborhoods on the West Coast. Several places have ties to different chapters of Black history.
"Multicultural communities that grew in parallel with a specific place now face cultural erasure — the gradual disappearance of community landmarks that help tell the story of those who’ve called a place home, along with the loss of treasured local businesses, restaurants, customs, and traditions," the statement said. "By rallying around the places that symbolize their history and stories, many neighborhoods and communities are leading the charge to protect what makes them special in the face of overdevelopment, displacement, and gentrification."
The National Trust reviews nominations from the public and narrows down the list.
From Miami to Seattle, these sites face a range of serious and unique challenges. Several sites are located in major cities and also face challenges brought on by climate change and extreme weather.
America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
Osterman Gas Station, Peach Springs, Arizona
Little Santo Domingo, Miami, Florida
Pierce Chapel African Cemetery, Midland, Georgia
Century and Consumers Buildings, Chicago, Illinois
West Bank of St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
Holy Aid and Comfort Spiritual Church, New Orleans, Louisiana (aka Perseverance Benevolent and Mutual Aid Society Hall)
L.V. Hull Home and Studio, Kosciusko, Mississippi
Henry Ossawa Tanner House, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Chinatown, Pennsylvania
Charleston’s Historic Neighborhoods, South Carolina
Seattle Chinatown-International District, Washington
What the organization says you can do to help preserve these sites
Join the National Trust, the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership, and dozens of statewide and local organizations in calling for a National Historic Trail designation for Route 66.
Ask your elected officials to support the preservation of African American Burial Grounds.
Contact the General Services Administration to ask them not to demolish two iconic early skyscrapers, the Century and Consumers Buildings, along Chicago’s historic State Street.
Ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deny the permit for Greenfield Terminal impacting the St. John Parish community.
“Each site offers an opportunity to engage with our shared history where it happened and inspires us to work together to honor each other’s experiences and contributions to our country,” said Chief Preservation Officer Katherine Malone-France.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These are America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
