The National Trust for Historic Preservation has listed a site sacred to Native American tribes, a war room for civil rights activists and one of the first gay nightclubs opened in the 1970s as three of the most endangered historically significant places in the United States.
The trust has issued its 28th annual list of most endangered historic sites in the country, and it includes well-known places such as the Grand Canyon in Arizona and the Chautauqua Amphitheater in New York to lesser-known sites such as the East Point Historic Civic Block in Georgia and the A.G. Gaston Motel in Birmingham, Ala.
All of these are endangered due to a variety of threats, including large-scale development projects, a deterioration due to neglect and a lack of protection from environmental hazards such as earthquakes.
"This year's list is our most diverse ever, and reflects our commitment to recognizing and preserving all the facets of our diverse history," Stephanie Meeks, CEO and president of the trust, tells CNN in an interview.
Since launching the first list of America's most endangered historic sites in 1988, the trust has included more than 260 sites on the list and has saved all but 14 of them.
"By shining a spotlight on these places, we hope this year's list, as it has the past 27 years, inspires people to stand up and speak out for the important sites in their own communities that help define our nation's past," says the trust in a blog post.
America's 11 most endangered sites are, in alphabetical order:
1. A.G. Gaston Motel (Birmingham, Ala.), a luxury motel that served as a meeting place for the African-American Civil Rights movement. One of its visitors was Martin Luther King Jr.
2. Carrollton Courthouse (New Orleans), a Greek Revival-style building designed by one of New Orleans' best architects, Henry Howard. The courthouse was transformed into a school until 2013 and is on the brink of being sold.
3. Chautauqua Amphitheater (Chautauqua, N.Y.), a 122-year-old building that was home to music festivals, art colonies, summer camps and the village square to locals that lovingly call it the Amp.
4. East Point Historic Civic Block (East Point, Ga.), three historically significant buildings and one memorial park in the heart of downtown East Point that is threatened by demolition.
5. Fort Worth Stockyards (Fort Worth, Texas), the center of the livestock culture that was instrumental in the cultural and economic development of many Western states.
6. Grand Canyon (Arizona), a sacred place to American Indians and one of the last remaining frontiers of nature in the U.S. The Grand Canyon is facing the threat of uranium mining and luxury resort construction.
7. Little Havana (Miami, Fla.), a neighborhood that is home to a predominantly Cuban population. It symbolizes America as the ultimate melting pot of cultures.
8. Oak Flat (Superior, Ariz.), a sacred site to the San Carlos Apache tribe. Oak Flat, which houses many important archaeological and historical gathering sites, faces danger from mining.
9. Old U.S. Mint (San Francisco, Calif.), the Granite Lady, which is facing the threat of development fueled by San Francisco's massive technology industry. This is the second time the Old U.S. Mint makes it to this list.
10.South Street Seaport (New York City), home to numerous 19th-century industrial buildings on the bank of New York City's East River.
11.The Factory (West Hollywood, Calif.), built in 1929 to house the Mitchell Camera Corp. It was later transformed into Studio One, one of the first gay nightclubs of the 1970s.
Photo: Grand Canyon National Park | Flickr
