• Yates Memorial Hospital Purchased by Historic Ketchikan, Inc.

    February 19, 2026

    Built in 1905 as a clergy house for the Episcopal Mission, Yates Memorial Hospital was re-purposed in 1909 as a 12-bed hospital during the boom years of Ketchikan’s growth. Under very difficult conditions, many dedicated and determined women worked tirelessly as nurses, to care for the sick and injured there.

    After being vacant for 15 years, the National Trust listed it as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2020, bringing national attention to its uncertain future,

    This past January however the preservation of this structure took a great leap forward when Historic Ketchikan, Inc completed its purchase of the building, opening the way for the nonprofit to begin restoration efforts. With some initial grants in hand, HKI is seeking the public’s support to keep the momentum going. The hope is for it to contribute to the broader revitalization efforts in Ketchikan.

  • Damage to Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Greater Than Expected

    February 17, 2026

    Opened in 1874, the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse used to be one of several “middle-of-the-river” lighthouses on the Hudson River. Now it’s one of only two left standing. The lighthouse was built to guide vessels around a shallow area in the river near Athens and Hudson, New York, and continues to serve as a navigation aid today, helping commercial and leisure mariners safely navigate this portion of the Hudson River. In 2024, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the lighthouse to its annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places due to erosion and damage to pilings that support the lighthouse, as well as other preservation challenges.

    Despite some significant progress, the site had a setback in April 30, 2025 when a barge hit the lighthouse, destroying its dock and stairway. In November 2025 a report commissioned by the lighthouse owners the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society, and completed by Proper & O’Leary Engineering, documented further damage to the base of the lighthouse, noting that the impact “pushed in some of the base’s stones and rotated others,” further compromising the foundation The cost of repairs is estimated between $1.9-3.6 million.

  • Updates on Actions Protecting Minidoka National Historic Site

    February 13, 2026

    The Minidoka War Relocation Center, in Jerome County, Idaho, is where 13,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. Today, the site stands as a powerful reminder of this chapter in American history.

    In August 2025, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum revoked the federal permit for the Lava Ridge Wind Project, which had been issued by the Bureau of Land Management in December 2024. The proposed Lava Ridge Wind Project would have caused adverse effects to the Minidoka National Historic Site, which spurred Minidoka’s inclusion on the National Trust’s 2022 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.

    For years, the National Trust’s Legal Advocacy and Government Relations teams worked along with advocates from the Japanese American and Minidoka survivor groups to oppose the project.

    Further action followed in January 2026 when Congress enacted the FY 2026 Interior Appropriations bill. The legislation prohibits the use of federal funds for construction of the Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho unless the Secretary of the Interior completes a review of the Department of Interior’s Record of Decision and the Presidential Memorandum, and as appropriate, an analysis in accordance with the Presidential Memorandum titled ‘‘Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects.’’

  • VIDEO: Impact of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places

    September 08, 2025

    America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places

    For more than 35 years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list has uplifted and catalyzed community-led preservation work at over 350 sites through a high-impact advocacy and public awareness campaign resulting in increased visibility, public attention, and new resources to save and activate historic places for the public good.

    Learn from advocates about how the 11 Most Endangered list has helped save historic places in Arizona, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC.

  • Community Rallies behind Hudson-Athens Lighthouse after Barge Accident

    May 16, 2025

    Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, Hudson River, New York

    photo by: Jonathan Palmer

    Hudson-Athens Lighthouse before a barge destroyed the dock and stairway.

    Opened in 1874, the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse used to be one of several “middle-of-the-river” lighthouses on the Hudson River. Now it’s one of only two left standing. The lighthouse was built to guide vessels around a shallow area in the river near Athens and Hudson, New York, and continues to serve as a navigation aid today, helping commercial and leisure mariners safely navigate this portion of the Hudson River. It is also open to the public as a museum, welcoming visitors and schoolchildren to learn about the lightkeepers and their families who lived in the building up until the 1940s.

    In 2024 the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the lighthouse to its annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places due to erosion and damage to pilings that support the lighthouse, as well as other preservation challenges. The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society (HALPS) had begun a campaign to raise $7.5 million to restore the lighthouse and install an underwater steel curtain to protect the pilings and foundation. In December 2024, Sen. Chuck Schumer announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had selected the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse for their protection program and identified the Lighthouse as a priority for the Corps, opening up urgently needed federal funding to help restore the site. Engineering planning to guide the repairs was underway.

    However, on April 30, 2025, a barge hit the lighthouse, destroying its dock and stairway. While the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society continues to evaluate all damage done, in the wake of the accident, the community rallied in support. A temporary replacement dock was constructed and donated by Keith Flinton of KTF Dock Worx, whose father built the previous dock, and it was towed to the lighthouse by Carver Marine Towing, the operator of the barge that caused the damage. The temporary dock will allow HALPS to resume preservation work on this significant community landmark.

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