11 Most Endangered | Common Questions | Nomination Form | 1999 Engagement Calendar

America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places 1997

Each year the National Trust for Historic Preservation names “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” These sites are chosen to illustrate highly significant symbols of our American heritage threatened by neglect, deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient finds, inappropriate development of insensitive public policy. The mission of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, leader of the national preservation movement, is to save America’s diverse historic enviromnents and to preserve and revitalize the livability of communities nationwide. A nonprofit organization, charted by Congress in 1949, it has more than 270,000 members, seven regional offices, overs 20 sites and works with thousands of local community groups in all 50 states. For further information: (202) 588-6141.

Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine, Florida - It’s been called “Dixie’s handsomest span.” Since 1927, the Bridge of Lions has carried traffic across the Matanzas River, its graceful arches, tile-roofed towers and marble lions providing a fittingly picturesque entry to North America’s oldest city. Recently, increased traffic loads and a rash of barge accidents have led to calls for a new, wider bridge -- one that could be out of scale and character with its surroundings and would funnel additional traffic into the city’s already congested historic district. Preservationists argue that sacrificing the bridge is unnecessary, since other nearby spans offer a more direct route from mainland highways to beachfront communities. A short-sighted decision by Florida DOT could spell doom for this elegant blend of transportation and art, leaving the bridge’s noble lions to join the sad ranks of endangered species.

Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C. - A veritable “history park,” Congressional Cemetery is the final resting place of over 60,000 persons from all walks of life and periods of our history, from Revolutionary War heroes and American Indian tribal chiefs to early leaders of the Gay Rights movement. The rolling site above the Anacostia River boasts a richly diverse collection of monuments, many designed and executed by well-known artists and stone carvers: Architect Benjamin Latrobe designed the cenotaphs marking the graves of members of Congress, who customarily were interred here if they died during their term in office. Also buried here are such notables as Civil War photographer Mathew Brady; Belva Lockwood, the first woman to run for president and receive votes; conductor and composer John Philip Sousa; and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. Like most early cemeteries, Congressional was established without a perpetual care plan. Today, as plot-owning families move or die out, the site suffers from increasing neglect, vandalism and theft. Increased pollution poses an additional threat. Without funds to maintain this treasure, the future looks grim for a hallowed spot that has been called “America’s cemetery.”

Cranston Street Armory, Providence, Rhode Island - Since 1907 the twin six-story, crenelated towers and massive central hall of the Cranston Street Armory have been the majestic centerpiece of Providence’s historic West Broadway neighborhood. In addition to providing a grand home for the Rhode Island National Guard, the armory has served an important civic function, hosting public events such as circuses, track meets, gubernatorial galas and charity events. But last October the Guard vacated the 165,000-sq.-ft. building for a new structure in an outlying industrial park, leaving the future of the landmark in doubt. Although structurally sound, the huge armory can’t survive without essential maintenance and an appropriate reuse -- and local residents, like their counterparts facing the closing of military facilities in other communities, feel that the future of their neighborhood depends on keeping the armory building alive and economically viable. Providence’s “castle for the people” has a proud past, but its future is a question mark.

Ellis Island National Monument, New York Harbor - Every year millions visit the magnificently restored Main Hall and grounds of Ellis Island National Monument, a unit of the national park system. They come to touch history and to be inspired by the story of the 12,000,000 immigrants who passed through America’s main port of entry from 1892 to 1954. But the story is incomplete. Chain-link barriers keep visitors away from other buildings, where decay and lack of maintenance threaten the future of dozens of important historic buildings, including sprawling hospital wards, located on the islands south side, where thousands of immigrants were confined for medical treatments or quarantine on the very threshold of the New World. Ellis Island’s plight illustrates the long-standing issue of underfunding the National Park Service and specifically the lack of funds for the protection and maintenance of the historic resources in the national park system. Of the 374 A controversial plan for private development of the site has been dropped, and now funding is desperately needed to save the rapidly deteriorating structures and plan for their future role in the park. If the buildings of the “dark side” of Ellis Island are allowed to crumble, the dramatic story of this powerful symbol of the American Dream will remain only half told.

Flathead Indian Reservation, Montana - Sprawling over 1.2 million acres in northwest Montana, the Flathead Reservation is a rich tapestry of prairies, mountains, lakes, rivers, endangered species, family farms and ranches, historic small towns and National Register sites such as Fort Connah (1847) and St. Ignatius Mission (1890). It is also the homeland of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, who are working to perpetuate their languages and cultures and to protect the reservation’s environment. This unique and priceless place is threatened by a planned superhighway that would split communities with concrete barriers, accelerate growth throughout the reservation, spur sprawl from the fast-growing city of Missoula, degrade wildlife habitat, and pose the biggest threat to the social, environmental and cultural well-being of the Flathead community since Congress’s decision to open the reservation to non-Indians in 1910. The tribes and a local grassroots citizens’ group have put forward alternative transportation plans that effectively address safety concerns while avoiding the unnecessary destruction of one of the “last best places” in the American West.

Historic Buildings Infested with Formosan Termites, Gulf Coast States - A voracious blind creature that eats history--it sounds like something from a science-fiction nightmare, but it’s real. Coptotermes formosanus, the Formosan termite, was introduced into the United States from east Asia in the 1940s. Since then it has spread like a plague through the Southeast, its range now extending from Texas to South Carolina. The infestation is most severe in New Orleans, where the total annual cost of termite damage and treatment is estimated at an astonishing $217,000,000. In areas like the famed French Quarter, where close-packed houses share common walls, entire city blocks must be treated--a procedure that is costly and complicated. Outside the Quarter, officials fear that infestation may have hit as many as 1/3 of the beloved live oaks that shade historic thoroughfares such as St. Charles Avenue. Creation of a nationwide information clearinghouse and development of better methods of treatment offer the best hope for controlling this tiny monster that is literally chewing up our heritage.

Montezuma Castle, Montezuma, New Mexico - In 1881, hot springs in the eastern foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, long visited by Native Americans and Anglos alike, lured the Santa Fe Railroad to develop the area as a fashionable resort. Cornerstone of the development was a grand 90,000-square-foot Queen Anne-style fantasy known as the Montezuma Hotel, designed by famed Chicago architects Burnham and Root and completed in 1885. After the hotel closed in 1903, the building fondly called “Montezuma Castle” served for 35 years as a seminary before the property became the American campus of United World College. By that time, years of deferred maintenance and vandalism had caused serious structural damage, making regular occupancy impossible and reducing the building to a vacant shell, a burden on the college’s infrastructure and a drain on its financial resources. Just as planning and funding are needed to give this landmark new luster as the vibrant centerpiece for campus life and activity, the college must work to ensure that reuse of the Castle is also productive for the surrounding rural community.

Stillwater Bridge, Stillwater, Minnesota - Spanning the St. Croix River, Stillwater Bridge is one of three surviving vertical-lift highway bridges built in Minnesota and Wisconsin prior to World War II. The 1931 Stillwater span is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is considered a significant cultural resource in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway -- a unit of the National Park System -- but growth and increased traffic have led to calls for a new bridge. The National Park Service has stated that the historic bridge must be removed if a new bridge is built, citing the need to keep the number of bridges in the Scenic Riverway constant. After supporting Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation plans for a new bridge one mile south of town, the National Park Service vetoed that specific project late in 1996 under threat of court action on an environmental suit. Several lawsuits have now been filed against the Park Service veto as well, to force them to reverse their decision. Caught in the middle, residents will likely be asked to choose between saving the natural beauty of the river and preserving their heritage, and “either/or” dilemma that has divided the community and could leave both sides losers.

The Cathedral of St. Vibians, Los Angeles, California - One of the oldest buildings in the city of Los Angeles, the 1876 St. Vibiana’s Cathedral is a stirring reminder of the civic optimism and religious faith of an early western outpost. The 121-year-old Italianate structure seats 1,300 worshipers and has touched the lives of millions of Angelenos and visitors, as well as dignitaries such as Pope John Paul II and President Clinton. But now, having survived earthquakes and the building boom of the 1980’s to become one of the few remaining churches in the central business district, St. Vibiana’s may soon be lost to the wrecking ball. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is breaking ground for a new cathedral on a new site and is seeking demolition of the building in order to sell the land for development. Unless community groups and preservationists can identify a viable new use for the structure soon, a beloved downtown anchor will be lost -- and along with it a symbol of stability, continuity and community that the people of Los Angeles, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, so desperately need.

Vicksburg Campaign Trail, Louisiana and Mississippi - The surrender of Vicksburg on July 4, 1863, broke the back of the Confederacy. The campaign leading up to that pivotal event was one of the boldest in American military history, involving grueling marches, pitched battles, the largest amphibious operation ever mounted in America, and a 47-day siege that drove half-starved Vicksburg residents into caves to escape the rain of exploding shells. The story of the siege is the focus of a beautiful National Military Park -- but outside the park boundaries, the fields, bayous and country roads where the rest of the Vicksburg campaign was waged are threatened by the forces of time, change and neglect. The very existence of this significant resource is little known, its historic value underappreciated, its potential for heritage tourism untapped. As a result, landmark buildings are crumbling and inappropriate development threatens unprotected sites such as the Big Black River Bridge battlefield, recently proposed for casino construction. A comprehensive strategy for education, planning and management is essential to save this hallowed ground where bravery and sacrifice shaped the course of history.

Wa’ahila Ridge, Honolulu, Hawaii - Part of the Koolau Mountain Range, the dramatic Wa’ahila Ridge is a lush green wall that serves as a natural backdrop for the historic neighborhoods of Palolo, St. Louis Heights and Manoa in Honolulu. Visible from Waikiki, this important element of the physical landscape that helps create Oahu’s image as a tropical paradise is now threatened: Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) plans to construct 100-foot-tall steel towers and install high-voltage power lines through these historic neighborhoods and along Wa’ahila Ridge. HECO claims that the new power line will help provide cheap, reliable power to its customers, but the ultimate cost of scarring the historic landscape could be measured in lost tourist dollars and a diminished quality of life for local residents who see the ridge as an integral part of their communities. Unless this project is stopped, historic communities in urban Honolulu will lose a precious resource--and the road will be paved for further destruction of the qualities than make Hawaii special.