Here are America's 11 most endangered historic places: 2024 list
Image of New Salem Baptist Church. (Photo by Cody Straley/WV SHPO, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
Some of the nation's most important sites have a history spanning generations, but attrition and a lack of repairs could threaten the future of the buildings.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation released a list of the most endangered historical places to bring awareness to these places.
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The nonprofit organization’s annual ranking features important U.S. sites that face possible damage or destruction if not preserved.
Here is more information on historical places to make this year's list.
Cindy Walker House, Mexia, Texas
This is the historic home of country music songwriter Cindy Walker. She made top 10 hit songs for 50 years and since Walker’s death, the home has suffered foundation issues and her family is trying to preserve the home.
Cindy Walker House (Photo by Cindy Walker Foundation, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
Eatonville, Florida
This town was one of the first self-governing all-Black cities in the U.S. and it’s the hometown of Zora Neale Hurston, the iconic author, folklorist, and anthropologist, according to a National Trust for Historic Preservation release.
Thomas House is the oldest living structure in Eatonville, Florida, and the original site of the St. Lawrence African Methodist Episcopal Church. (Photo by Melissa Jest, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
Estate Whim Museum, Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
The Estate Whim was a plantation producing cotton and sugar for export. It’s now a museum, library and archives, and public programming. Hurricanes have damaged many of Estate Whim Museum's historic buildings and the site needs support and resources to make repairs.
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The Estate Whim Great House is showing conditions of a hurricane-damaged roof with tarps. (Photo by St. Croix Landmarks Society, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, Athens, New York
This historic site opened in 1874 and is only one of two remaining light houses. Decay and other issues put the building at risk of collapsing if nothing is done to preserve it, the National Trust for Historic Preservation noted citing engineering reports. Money is being raised to preserve the site and keep the lighthouse open to the public.
Hudson-Athens Lighthouse (Photo by Jonathan Palmer, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California
The National Trust for Historic Preservation notes that 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.
1st Street is the major thoroughfare in Little Tokyo and remained recognizable from the early 1900s, even though businesses have changed. (Kristin Fukushima, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
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 important to American history, including Walden Pond and Woods and the preserved homesteads of authors and environmentalists. The parks and landmarks face a proposed expansion but advocates are speaking out against the project.
Minute Man National Park-Minute Men and British reenactors firing a musket off the North Bridge. (Photo by Neil Lynch, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
New Salem Baptist Church, Tams, West Virginia
New Salem Baptist Church was built in 1921 and is one of the last reminders of the community and helps to tell the story of Black coal miners and their families in West Virginia. The church needs maintenance repairs and money to preserve the historical building.
Image of New Salem Baptist Church. (Photo by Cody Straley/WV SHPO, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
Roosevelt High School, Gary, Indiana
Built in 1930, Theodore Roosevelt High School provided educational needs for African Americans. Notable alumni from the school, include professional athletes, well-known actors, and members of The Jackson 5, according to National Trust for Historic Preservation. The school has been abandoned and damaged since 2019 and a group is working to store the site.
Image of Theodore Roosevelt High School in 2015. (Photo by Tiffany Tolbert, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
Sitka Tlingit Clan Houses, Sitka, Alaska
The Sitka Tlingit Clan Houses in southeast Alaska is important to both the history and the future of the Lingít (commonly spelled in English as "Tlingit"). Today, only eight of the original 43 clan houses are around. Tlingit tribal citizens and supporters are working to preserve and celebrate the Sitka.
The Sitka Tlingit Village is pictured on March 10, 2024. (Photo by James Poulson, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
Tangier American Legation, Tangier, Morocco
The Tangier American Legation in Morocco was gifted to the United States by the Moroccan Sultan in 1821 and it became the first American public property located abroad, and served as a U.S. diplomatic mission for 140 years. The historic site is now a cultural center, museum, and research library.
The Legations main courtyard is filled with scents of jasmine and orange blossoms. (Photo by Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
Wilderness Battlefield Area, Orange County, Virginia
Wilderness Battlefield Area is a historical site that’s not fully protected. The National Trust for Historic Preservation noted that proposed developments could affect the sites and landscapes. Supporters are speaking to Orange County officials to build on past planning efforts in the area.
A cannon is located on the Wilderness National Military Park. (Photo by Lori Coleman/American Battlefield Trust, courtesy the National Trust for Historic Preservation)
This story was reported from Washington, D.C.