America’s most endangered historic places (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

16 June 2011 | By Tanya Mohn

The National Trust for Historic Preservation unveiled its 2011 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places on 15 June.

The annual list, now in its 24th year, spotlights important examples of the nation’s architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage.
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Locations are chosen based on architectural or cultural significance, the urgency of the problem and the potential for a solution, said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust. She also noted that several new themes emerged this year.

Two places considered sacred ground for Native Americans -- a 4,426-foot mountain in Bear Butte, South Dakota, and more than 1,000 square miles of archeological and cultural sites in northwestern New Mexico that were once home to the prehistoric Chacoan people -- were chosen because they are threatned by energy development.

Several nominees this year reflected the impact of climate change, though only one, a fortress on Dauphin Island, Alabama, made the list. Fort Gaines, “a place of spectacular beauty and stirring history”, according to the National Trust, played a pivotal role in the Civil War battle for Mobile Bay. Today its shoreline is experiencing serious erosion.
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more: http://www.bbc.com/travel/blog/20110616-americas-most-endangered-historic-places

the list: http://www.preservationnation.org/issues/11-most-endangered/?utm_source=11-Most-Slide-1&utm_medium=Homepage-Slider&utm_campaign=11Most-Homepage
Click on the links to the right to get more info on each site -- some interesting history there!


Fort Gaines, after flooding by Katrina

[Scuba]

1. Thanks for posting....

...please note that one of the sites is the National Soldiers Home in Milwaukee.



<snip>

The establishment of a National Soldiers Homes system was one of the last pieces of legislation signed by President Lincoln prior to his assassination.

The Milwaukee Soldiers Home campus, on the grounds of the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, is one of the most intact examples of these early soldiers homes. Completed in 1869, the “Old Main” building, nicknamed by veterans, was used as a veterans’ residence until the 1970s, while the Ward Memorial Hall, opened in 1881, was once a popular stop for vaudeville and minstrel shows.

Although only seven miles from downtown Milwaukee, the campus, with gently rolling lawns, mature trees, winding drives and eclectic Victorian buildings, retains a peaceful, park-like atmosphere. Used frequently as an education center, the campus hosts school groups and re-enactors from the Civil War to the Vietnam War era.

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More at site... http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/midwest-region/national-soldiers-home.html