What is the America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places program?
For more than 35 years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has spotlighted important and threatened historic places across the country. Since its first publication in 1988, the list has helped to save hundreds of places that are intrinsically linked with the American story—places such as Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay, Civil Rights landmark Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Chicago, revered Modernist icons like the soaring TWA Terminal at New York’s JFK Airport, Native American cultural landscapes like Rassawek, Virginia, and President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington, D.C. While placement on the 11 Most list itself does not provide legal protections, we are proud of the fact that fewer than five percent of listed sites have been lost.
Why 11 historic places? Why not 10 like other lists?
According to National Trust lore, when the first list was being put together in 1988, the organization had winnowed it down to 11 places and left it to then-president J. Jackson Walter to select the worthiest 10. Walter thought all 11 were important and deserved recognition, so the first year featured 11 sites and it has been the same ever since.
How can inclusion on the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list help save my endangered site?
The 11 Most program uplifts and catalyzes community-led preservation work through a high-impact public awareness campaign resulting in increased visibility, public attention, and new resources to save and activate historic places for the public good. Placement on the list raises public awareness and can be a powerful tool for local advocates to rally public support around the country to help save a threatened site. The National Trust’s annual announcement generates coverage in national media outlets such as NPR, The New York Times, USA Today, and Associated Press, along with regional and local media outlets. The media spotlight can help amplify local advocacy efforts to save historic places, creating pressure for a change of course. Listing can also help attract new stakeholders and supporters to the cause of saving a threatened historic place.
In some instances, inclusion on the 11 Most list brought endangered sites to the attention of potential new owners or bolstered efforts to attract funding from charitable foundations or individual donors.
What are some examples of sites that have been on the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list?
Two exhibits on Google Arts & Culture provide a look back on six different places that previously were on the 11 Most list. Read about each site's significance, hear directly from advocates about the impact of the listing on the preservation of the site, and learn how you can help.
You can also view the full list of sites previously included on the 11 Most list.
What is the process for selecting sites for the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list?
For 2026, sites on the 11 Most Endangered list will be selected by National Trust staff, and there will be no public nomination process. The announcement of the 11 Most list will be during Preservation Month, May 2026.
What criteria guide the selection of sites for the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list?
When evaluating a potential place for inclusion on the list, the National Trust’s team considers a range of factors including history and significance, local support for preservation, the urgency of the threat, and the potential solutions to that threat, including the broader impact that an endangered designation might have on saving and activating the place. Places do not need to be nationally significant or “famous” to make the list.
Does getting a site on the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list prevent it from being demolished?
No, listing on America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places does not prevent a site from being demolished. It is a purely honorific title with no legal or regulatory restrictions attached. However, the visibility that comes from listing can help encourage decision-makers to find alternatives to demolition.
What if the help my site really needs is funding—are there National Trust grants available?
The National Trust has grant programs that can provide financial assistance for planning, education, and brick-and-mortar projects. 11 Most designation is not required to apply for grants from the National Trust.