Since 1988, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has been compiling a list of national treasures, sites of architectural and cultural significance that are facing demolition or serious decay. Each year, one-of-a-kind historical places are added, cataloguing American architectural history and raising awareness of endangered cultural gems. While some of these sites are threatened by new development and projects, others are simply left to deteriorate due to lack of preservation and financial resource. This year’s selection of 11 places facing a ruinous fate includes:
Bear Butte, Meade County, South Dakota
Named for the 4,426-foot mountain called Mato Paha that is shaped like a bear sleeping on its side, Native American tribal people and international visitors have been using this land for pilgrimages and spiritual renewal. This sacred praying ground for many Native American tribes has been continually threatened by proposals to develop wind and oil energy. If wind installations and oil fields are built, the cultural landscape and rituals of Bear Butte will be irreparably damaged.
Isaac Manchester Farm, Avella, Pennsylvania
Since Isaac Manchester and his wife Phebe moved here in 1797, this 400-acre farm has produced high quality, fresh meat and dairy products. Although the farm and its practices has been passed down for eight generations and is still owned by a Manchester descendant, Margie Manchester, this well-preserved farm with eight historic brick buildings now faces threats from nearby longwall coal farming.
Greater Chaco Landscape, New Mexico
This 1,000-square-mile stretch of New Mexico holds many hidden archeological sites that contain the mysteries of the prehistoric Chacoan people. Unfortunately, these sacred sites are not only fragile because of prehistoric construction, but also endangered by nearby oil and gas exploration and extraction north of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Belmead-on-the-James, Powhatan County, Virginia
Designed by renowned architect Alexander Jackson Davis in 1845, Belmead-on-the-James is an architectural masterpiece, exemplifying Gothic Revival aesthetics. Built for plantation owners by enslaved workers, this manor house was transformed into two private single-gendered schools after being funded by Katharine Drexel in the 1890s. In 2010, the bell tower of the establishment collapsed, exposing the interiors and requiring serious structural repair. Today these monumental buildings that represent African American heritage stand in ruins.
