Preserving Endangered Historic Sites

In a piece for Smithsonian Magazine, Shoshi Parks outlines how the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s America’s Most Endangered Historic Places program has helped activists restore neglected historical sites. 

The program adds 11 new endangered sites to the list each year. The recognition can be crucial for sites, helping to raise their profile and access funding for restoration and programming. According to Jennifer Sandy, the senior director of preservation programs for the National Trust, “While designation on the 11 Most Endangered list does not come with dedicated funding, the high-profile nature of the designation does often help organizations attract new sources of funding through grants or philanthropy.”

Remembering and making connections to historical sites, especially those once rarely considered worthwhile by preservationists, lays a foundation for a future built on belonging and inclusion.

As Parks explains, “In its first years, the endangered list was dominated by sites that placed Euro-American history above those of Indigenous, ethnic and immigrant stories. More recently, the National Trust has taken an expanded perspective that tells the full American story, including places previously left at the margins or located outside the contiguous United States.”