A city can share a story. A town can tell a tale. And houses hold hidden history. These places must be protected. The National Trust for Historic aims to do that. On May 1, the group shared a list. It is “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.”
This list comes out every year. It raises awareness about special spots. Carol Quillen leads the Trust. “History ought to tell the full story,” Quillen said. That includes “groups and places left at the .”
Many places on the 2024 list are tied to people. One spot is the Cindy Walker House. It is in Mexia, Texas. Cindy Walker was a country music songwriter. But her work was often overlooked. Walker’s old house is still standing. But it has damage.
Then, there’s Eatonville, Florida. It was one of the first all-Black U.S. towns. Zora Neale Hurston grew up there. She was a famous and author. The town’s historic buildings need repairs.
An area in Massachusetts made the list too. Minute Man National Historical Park is where the started in 1775. Later, famous writers stayed in nearby homes. They include Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott. The area also has Walden Pond. But a nearby airport may get bigger. That could bring more traffic and more harm to the land.
Little Tokyo is in Los Angeles, California. from Japan started settling there in 1885. Across the country, there is the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse. It is in New York. It sits in the middle of the Hudson River. The lighthouse opened in 1874. But it could fall in if people don’t take care of it.
One endangered American place isn’t in America. It’s in the African nation of Morocco! In 1821, the sultan of Morocco gave the United States a building. It’s called the Tangier American Legation. This gift was a sign of friendship. Now, it’s a museum that needs fixing up.
People will keep working to protect these sites — and their stories.
Updated May 3, 2024, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Ashley Morgan
