The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) has released its annual list of “The 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America“, highlighting a wide range of cultural and historical monuments in danger of disappearing. The organization has published the list annually since 1988 based on public nominations to galvanize efforts to save remarkable sites at risk of disappearing. More than 36 years after its initial report, the NTHP has named more than 350 sites.
Many of these places face a number of threats, from gentrification to deteriorating weather conditions, and rely on community preservation efforts to keep their heritage alive.
This year’s NTHP report recognized two Chinatown neighborhoods — in Seattle and Philadelphia — where large-scale development plans threaten to drive out generations of residents and family businesses. In downtown Charleston, the NTHP has also focused on community advocates leading the fight to preserve the city’s historic Union Pier, a 65-acre neighborhood along the Cooper River. Organizers fear a proposed plan for a mixed-use neighborhood on the waterfront site could change the area forever.
In Miami, Little Santo Domingo is a commercial strip that runs along 17th Avenue in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Like the other historic sites on the NTHP’s list, the predominantly Dominican community faces threats of gentrification and cultural erasure from neighboring developers, and relies heavily on local advocacy groups, such as The Allapattah Collaboration (TAC)to protect long-time residents and small businesses from displacement.
“Preserving the identity of Little Santo Domingo is important because it is an authentic cultural gem,” said TAC’s Betty Cortina-Weiss. Hyperallergic. “The barbershops here serve famous baseball players of Dominican descent. Renowned Caribbean reggaeton artists have their custom-made wardrobes made here. Neighborhood bakeries are renowned for their Dominican cuisine bizcocho, a soft cake flavored with pineapple jam. Colorful street art adds to the vibrancy and energy of the neighborhood.
The TAC used a variety of anti-displacement strategies to save the corridor, including a community land trust program. The fund aims to build resilience and affordability for business owners who run the neighborhood’s famous family-run shops.
“Little Santo Domingo is one of the last places in the country where this narrative is still alive, a final frontier of entrepreneurship and immigrant restlessness,” Weiss continued. “If we sit back and let that be erased by gentrification, a piece of our collective American history goes with it.”
The NTHP 2023 list of endangered sites also mentions two notable houses. In Mississippi, the home of self-taught artist LV Hull – who turned his Kosciusko residence into a public art installation during his lifetime – has been flagged for neglect, vandalism and defacement from severe weather. In Philadelphia, the home of 19th-century painter Henry Ossawa Tanner is on the verge of collapse due to poor maintenance.
On Route 66 in Arizona, the NTHP drew attention to the Osterman gas station. Built in 1929, this site served as a hub for many members of the Hualapai tribal community. Although many community organizations are working to revitalize the gas station, the building is deteriorating after years of extreme weather.
The Holy Aid and Comfort Spiritual Church, which is known for hosting some of the earliest jazz performances and later community worship services, is another site in poor condition due to weather conditions. After enduring both Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ida, the building in New Orleans is on the verge of collapse. Although community efforts are underway to restore the landmark, the site still needs additional resources.
Further up the Mississippi River, the NTHP has listed the West Bank of St. John the Baptist Parish as another endangered area. The 11-mile strip of land includes several villages and historic sites, such as the Whitney and Evergreen Plantations, where many descendants of enslaved people in the area continue to reside. Community members fear that plans proposed for a new 275-foot-tall grain elevator by Greenfield Exports will destroy this cultural landscape and make way for future overdevelopment.
In Georgia, another estate that commemorates black history in the United States was included in this year’s list. Pierce Chapel African Cemetery – one of the oldest burial grounds for enslaved Africans and their descendants – has faced its own deterioration issues, as community members report that utility companies Georgia Power and Mediacom use heavy equipment as a cause of burial damage. sites and markers.
On State Street in Chicago, the Century and Consumers buildings were also mentioned in the NTHP report. Both structures have long been historic symbols of the Windy City’s architectural golden age. Originally designed in 1913 and 1915, the two iconic skyscrapers have been vacant since 2005, when the General Services Administration (GSA) purchased them for potential offices. Now they are planned for demolition.
