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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.

On August 6, 2024, port facility Greenfield Louisiana LLC announced that it is abandoning its plans to construct a grain terminal in Wallace, Louisiana in the West Bank of St. John the Baptist Parish. The National Trust worked in opposition to the proposed grain terminal for three years in coordination with local allies including the Descendants Project, the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation, the Louisiana Landmarks Society, the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, Whitney Plantation, Evergreen Plantation, and many others.

The West Bank of St. John the Baptist Parish was included on the National Trust’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2023 due to the potential construction of one of the largest grain elevators in the world within this historic cultural landscape and the substantial adverse effects that construction would have had on multiple nationally significant historic resources.

The West Bank of St. John the Baptist Parish has been called “the cradle of Creole culture” and contains a remarkable concentration of nationally significant historic resources that are integral to telling the full American story. Historic villages such as Wallace were founded after the Civil War by Black soldiers who fought in the union army, and many descendants of people enslaved at nearby plantations still call the West Bank home.

The National Park Service is currently in the process of designating the entire West Bank of St. John the Baptist Parish as a National Historic Landmark District, and Greenfield’s industrial grain terminal would have been constructed in the heart of it, forever harming this unique cultural landscape.

The National Trust is proud to have fought alongside Louisiana’s historic preservation community in opposition to Greenfield’s proposed terminal. This outcome was achieved in large part through a careful and objective review of the project’s impacts on environmental and cultural resources by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the Army Corps conducted a meaningful consultation process with a wide variety of stakeholders, to “take into account” the adverse effects of the proposed project on a broad array of historic resources. Greenfield’s abandonment of the proposed terminal confirms the effectiveness of the Section 106 process and demonstrates that the preservation movement is capable of saving our nation’s historic resources from significant threats, even in the face of tremendously powerful opposition.

We are grateful that plans for the grain terminal have been abandoned and we thank all who were involved in this effort.

On August 1st the General Services Administration (GSA) announced that it has selected rehabilitation and adaptive reuse as the preferred alternative for the historic Century and Consumers Buildings located at 202 and 220 State Street in Chicago, IL. This decision by GSA is a tremendous victory for preservation.

The Century and Consumers Buildings were included on the National Trust’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2023 as the GSA was considering demolishing both buildings to address security concerns with the adjacent Dirksen Federal Courthouse.

Since the 11 Most Endangered designation, the National Trust has been working with a coalition of local preservation advocates including Landmarks Illinois, Preservation Chicago, the Chicago Architecture Center, and many others to advocate to GSA for the preservation of these important historic buildings. Chair Sara Bronin of the President’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation also recently offered her support via an editorial in the Chicago Tribune.

The National Trust is grateful that the GSA heard the many voices of advocates urging that the Century and Consumers Buildings should not be demolished and commends the GSA for their decision.

However, preservation is not yet assured, and a viable adaptive reuse must still be identified. The GSA will soon issue a request for proposals to lease the buildings, and the National Trust plans to continue to work with our local partners, GSA, and the Chicago development community to ensure the long-term preservation of these significant early skyscrapers.

On May 16, 2024 unusually strong winds devastated Houston and its surrounding areas causing damage to buildings and landscapes across the region.

Olivewood Cemetery, one of the oldest known platted African American cemeteries in Houston, was one of the places that experienced unexpected damage. The National Trust for Historic Preservation was listed as one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2022, and received a grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund in 2021

Documented damage as of May 21, 2024 included uprooted and destroyed trees, debris that includes large branches, and the need to replacement of over fifty feet of iron fencing. The Olivewood team has also identified at least seven burial markers that also suffered damage and will require repair.

Descendants of Olivewood, Inc is a 501(c) 3 dedicated to the restoration, preservation, and maintenance of Olivewood Cemetery. Learn more about the damage and the ongoing work and support that Olivewood will require to recover.