National Historic Landmarks at the Millennium
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NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS AT THE MILLENNIUM A REPORT TO CONGRESS AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 2000 – 2001 1 Introduction 1 Who Owns Landmarks? 2 Landmarks at the Millennium 3 Landmarks Preserved 4 Save America’s Treasures 8 Threats to National Historic Landmarks 10 Landmarks Lost in 2000 11 Threatened National Historic Landmarks 12 National Historic Landmarks on 2000 Watch List 14 National Park Service National Historic Landmark Assistance Program 16 The Mission of the Department of the Interior The mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and provide access to our Nation’s natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to the tribes. The Mission of the National Park Service The National Park Service is dedicated to conserving unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, educa- tion, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Service is also responsible for managing a great variety of national and international programs designed to help extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recre- ation throughout this country and the world. The Mission of the National Historic Landmarks Program The National Historic Landmarks Program seeks to identify, designate, and preserve National Historic Landmarks. This program provides technical assistance to owners and friends of National Historic Landmarks, in part through partnerships among the NPS and Landmark stewards, Federal agencies, Indian tribes, state and local governments, and the private sector. This program educates the public about National Historic Landmarks to foster support for their protection and that of the nation’s cultural heritage in general. The information on which the report is based is gathered by the National Park Service, which contacts owners and managers of National Historic Landmarks as well as preservation partners such as State Historic Preservation Offices. The information is compiled and analyzed by Heritage Preservation Services in Washington, D.C. The content of this report is, to the best of the National Park Service’s knowledge, accurate and complete as of the time of printing. This report and updates to individual descriptions of Landmarks can be found on the National Historic Landmark web site at www.cr.nps.gov/nhl. Our thanks to all who contributed information to this report. About the cover: The National Historic Landmark Lewis R. French, originally used to carry cargo, is one of the oldest wooden schooners in existence. Now used as a windjammer, she has been in continuous use since she was built in 1871. Like Lewis R. French, more than 90% of National Historic Landmarks are in good condition. PHOTO: NPS 2 INTRODUCTION Places that “possess exceptional value or quality in illustrat- objects, and to promote their preservation for the inspiration ing or interpreting the heritage of the United States” are of the people of the United States—thus creating the designated National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) because National Historic Landmarks Program. The National Park they have meaning for all Americans. They are places where Service administers the Program, which is a cooperative our nation’s most significant historic events occurred, where endeavor of government agencies, professionals, indepen- prominent Americans worked or lived, that represent those dent organizations and owners working together to identify, ideas that shaped the nation, that provide important infor- designate and preserve NHLs. mation about our past, or that are outstanding examples of A cornerstone of the National Historic Landmarks Program design or construction. Currently numbering over 2,300, is the biennial report on the condition of National Historic NHLs are found in every state, on tribal reservations, in Landmarks. The report is shared with Congress, National Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the islands of the Pacific. Historic Landmark stewards, and the American people to, Spanning more than 10,000 years from the arrival of ancient as stated in the 1916 National Park Service Organic Act, hunters in North America to the exploration of outer space, “provide a complete and current list of all NHLs (that) NHLs illuminate our rich and complex national story. exhibit known or anticipated damage or threats to the In the 1935 Historic Sites Act, the U.S. Congress charged integrity of their resources.” The report alerts all our citizens the Department of the Interior with the responsibility to to take action to preserve these most significant exemplars designate nationally significant historic sites, buildings and of our heritage for future generations. S A V E D PHILADELPHIA SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY (PSFS) BUILDING PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA The Philadelphia Savings Fund Society PHOTO: LOEWS PHILADELPHIA HOTEL Building is the premier International Style building in the United States. The building has been successfully rehabilitated as a Loews Hotel using the Preservation Tax Incentives program. 3 The National Park Service prepares this report using specific criteria. The following categories are used to describe the levels of threat to NHLs: EMERGENCY: NHLs that have suffered recent catastrophic damage that requires immediate intervention to preserve the resource and prevent withdrawal of designation. THREATENED: NHLs that have suffered, or are in imminent danger of, a severe loss of integrity. WATCH: NHLs that face impending actions or circumstances that likely will cause a loss of integrity. The benchmark for judging threats to a Landmark is its condition at the time of its designa- tion. Historic Districts may be listed if the damage or threat includes one or more important contributing properties. If a NHL loses its integrity to the point that it no longer conveys the significant qualities for which it was designated, the National Park Service will recom- mend the Landmark for withdrawal of designation by the Secretary of the Interior. WHO OWNS LANDMARKS? Nearly half – 48% of all NHLs – are owned privately. States own 13%, localities own 9%, and Federal agencies own 8%. Tribes own fewer than 1%. Twenty-one percent, most of which are districts, have more than one category of owner. For instance, a district may include a locally owned hospital, a Federally owned post office; a state-owned motor vehicle office and many privately owned businesses and homes. NHL Ownership by Percentage Tribal 1% Local 9% Number of Landmarks Owned State Federal 178 13% State 298 Local 204 Federal Tribal 13 8% Private 1,124 Multiple 487 Private Multiple 48% 21% 4 LANDMARKS AT THE MILLENNIUM The condition of 72 Landmarks improved during the past two years, in part due to the successful Save America’s Treasures grants authorized by Congress in 1999 and 2000. A list of the recipients appears on page 8. More than 90% of NHLs currently are in satisfactory condition, without damage or imminent threats. S A V E D SAMUEL HUNTINGTON BIRTHPLACE SCOTLAND, CONNECTICUT TON TRUST, INC. TON TRUST, VERNOR SAMUEL HUNTING PHOTOS: THE GO The Samuel Huntington Birthplace in January, 2000. The house was restored by dedicated volunteers with assistance from the town of Scotland, the Connecticut Historic Commission, the Huntington Family Association, the Mohegan Tribe, which the Huntington family had helped in the 17th century, and many others (above right). Deteriorated sill and foundation before restoration (above left). 5 LANDMARKS PRESERVED With dedicated owners, the help of preservation professionals and volunteers, and the availability of special grants such as Save America’s Treasures, the National Park Service’s Challenge Cost Share Grants, and State preservation grants, 48 NHLs were removed from risk in the last two years. They include: ALASKA Fir Dutch Harbor Naval Operating This is the last surviving unaltered American lighthouse tender. Base and Fort Mears, U.S. Army The U.S. Coast Guard has removed hazardous materials and The bases making up this Landmark suffered fierce air attacks will transfer the ship to the U.S. Lighthouse Society for display during World War II. A Save America’s Treasures grant is at its museum on Staten Island, New York. helping rehabilitate the historic Aerology Building for use as Leland Stanford House a museum. Leland Stanford, governor of California and founder of Stanford University, was one of the “Big Four” who built the AMERICAN SAMOA first transcontinental railroad. California State Parks is working Blunts Point Battery with the preservation community to develop plans for adaptive This rare example of a World War II coastal gun still reuse of the mansion as a museum, meeting and reception site. in place has been stabilized and restored. Los Cerritos Ranch House CALIFORNIA Constructed in 1844, this two-story adobe ranch house is an Alcatraz Island excellent example of the Monterey Colonial Style. The city has Built as a military fortification in 1854, Alcatraz became completed a master plan and repaired earthquake damage. the first official Army prison in the nation. Later it became Marin County Civic Center a civilian prison for the most hardened criminals. The park The Administration Building/Hall of Justice complex of the has completed substantial stabilization and restoration work. Marin County Civic Center is the last and largest constructed Balboa Park public project of Frank Lloyd Wright. The county will soon Constructed for the Panama-California Exposition in 1915, complete substantial repairs. Balboa Park includes some of the finest Spanish-Baroque