The Annual List

Hello Everyone:

A lovely, warm Monday to you all.  Blogger is in a fine mood today because one of Yours Truly's favorite teams, Team England, remains in the FIFA World Cup.  Either that or the allergy meds are making Blogger a little giddy.  A quick programming note, Blogger Candidate Forum is taking the week off to observe the Fourth of July holiday.  It will be back next week with a fresh topic to rant and rave about.  To celebrate America, we take a look at the 31st annual list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and site under "Watch Status."  Watch Status means that there is a specific growing threat to a site.  This list is complied by our friends at the National Trust for Historic Preservation (savingplaces.org).  This list highlights places that are under natural or man-made threat.  It is a diverse list that stretches across the colorful spectrum of American history.  Shall we take a look?

Annapolis City Dock Area Annapolis, Maryland: Blogger wants to send her love to the reporters and staff of the Capital Gazette who are recovering from the tragic shooting on Thursday that left five reporter dead.

Annapolis is the most urbanized historic space in the U.S.  Currently, there is a plan to re-zone parts of the Colonial Annapolis Historic District--undercutting local laws and policies that have protected for over 45 years--threatening to wreck the quality of life and heritage tourism economy, as well as reduce its charm.  

Ashley River Historic District, Charleston, South Carolina: the Ashley River Historic District is one of the most iconic places in South Carolina's Lowcountry.  This historic district is a fine example of the state's multi-layered cultural heritage.  However, the Historic District is under threat from an annexation proposal that could result in zoning changes and greater development, leading to irreparable damage to the historic landscape.  If you would like to do something, you can go to savingplaces.org, follow the link and add your name.

Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte Memorial Hospital, Omaha Indian Reservation, Nebraska: the hospital is named for the first Native American licensed to practice medicine in America.  The building is believed to be the first medical facility built for any Native American reservation without federal money.  The Hospital is unoccupied and facing an uncertain future.

Hurricane-Damaged  Historic Resources, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands: Hurricane Maria devastated the historic and cultural resources of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Another hurricane season is on the horizon and recovery efforts continue for these historic resources are threatened due to significant challenges from limited resources, funding, and preservation expertise.

Isaiah T. Montgomery House, Mound Bayou, Mississppi: Isaiah T. Montgomery was a former slave, who established the first all-African American, Mound Bayou, in the Mississippi Delta after the Civil War.  Currently, the house is in massive need of stabilization and rehabilitation. 

Larimer Square, Denver, Colorado: Larimer Square is both Denver's first commercial block and historic district.  For decades, it has been the premier national model for neighborhood revitalization through preservation.  However, the gem is threatened by an inappropriate development scheme that includes a plan for partial demolition of several buildings, the possible construction of two towers, and weakening the landmark ordinance (slight pun intended) that has protected this historic district for a long time.  You can do something about it: Go to savingplaces.org, follow the link to sign the petition to  stop this plan from going forward.

Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses, Bridgeport, Connecticut: these stately homes are considered the oldest houses built by African Americans in the state of Connecticut.  The Freeman Houses are part of the unique history of the free African American community prior to the Civil War.  The homes have been vacant for years and require a lot of attention.

Mount Vernon and Piscataway National Park, Mount Vernon, Virginia and Accokeek, Maryland: Dominion Energy wants to build a gas compressor station directly adjacent to the Piscataway National Park.  Not a great idea because it would obstruct the historic view of Mount Vernon, the former home George Washington, and the natural loveliness that is Piscataway National Park.

Route 66, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and California: get your kicks on the "Mother Road" Route 66.  This road has long been the globally recognized symbol of America's longtime romance with the open road.  If Congress done anything, it has taken big steps to designate Route 66 a National Historic Trail, which would bring national recognition and economic development along the route.  However, legislation to make this all possible must be passed by the U.S. Senate by the end of this year, otherwise this significant preservation opportunity could be lost.  This summer, a team from the National Trust for Historic Preservation will be documenting their journey on Route 66, which you can follow online and sign a petition at savingplaces.org. 

Ship on the Desert, Salt Flat, Texas: this fascinating early Modernist house is located inside Guadalupe Mountains National Park, in West Texas.  The house is suffering from deferred maintenance and currently not open to the visitors.

Walkout Schools of Los Angeles: Los Angeles, California: the Walkout Schools of Los Angeles are five historic Los Angeles Unified School District campuses that played a major role in the 1968 East Los Angeles Chicano Student Walkouts, which helped galvanize the Chicano Civil Rights Movement.  These examples of the recent past are tangible reminders of just how powerful student activism can be.  Currently, the LAUSD is calling for the demolition of some of the structures.  The Walkout Schools are: James A. Garfield High School; Theodore Roosevelt High School; Abraham Lincoln High School; Belmont High School; and El Sereno Middle School (originally Woodrow Wilson High School).  If you want to tell the LAUSD not demolish these buildings, you know what to do.  Go to savingplaces.org.  

  

Watch Status Site: Four Towns of Vermont's Upper Valley, Royalton, Sharon, Strafford, and Tunbridge, Vermont: the state of Vermont is home to many charming and idyllic towns and rolling landscape.  The town's of Royalton, Sharon, Strafford, and Tunbridge are part of scenic Upper Valley and are on the NTHP's Watch List because of a development proposal for a planned community.

That is our annual survey of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.  As always, a big thank you to our friends at the National Trust for Historic Preservation for all their tireless dedication to America's past. Without them, we not have any tangible reminders of America's history and culture.