Today, to mark the 30th anniversary of the America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list and how it has been a catalyst for the preservation of threatened historic sites around the country, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is issuing a retrospective list culled from the nearly 300 sites named to the program since its inception. The 2017 list highlights 11 once-endangered sites, including Antietam National Battlefield Park, that are now thriving and contributing to their communities, while also telling the compelling stories of the many people who worked tirelessly to bring these places back from the brink. Antietam National Battlefield Park appeared on the 11 Most Endangered inaugural list in 1988 and also subsequently in 1989, 1990 and 1991.

“One of the most significant events in American history, the Battle of Antietam influenced the outcome of the Civil War and immediately led President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation,” said Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Antietam National Battlefield Park is hallowed ground that evokes our nation’s continued struggle for justice and equality for all Americans. While we celebrate this outcome, the National Trust recognizes that a final 450 acres of land at Antietam remains vulnerable. It is essential that all of this historic landscape be preserved to continue allowing Antietam to be one of the nation’s best-protected Civil War battlefields.”

The Battle of Antietam, often called the bloodiest day in American history, took place on September 17, 1862, and resulted in approximately 23,000 Union and Confederate soldiers missing, wounded or killed. In addition to leading President Lincoln to issue an executive order ending slavery, it also was the battle that ended the Confederate invasion of Maryland. Antietam was the second Civil War park established by the federal government.

In response to a flawed proposal to construct a shopping center and other buildings on battlefield land, the National Trust named the historic battlefield to its first 11 Most list in 1988, galvanizing support and action by local, state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations. This resulted in a true preservation success story, with 3,263 acres of the site being fully protected. The Civil War Trust has been leading the charge to protect the final remaining 450 acres of land. Today, the expansive battlefield landscape, its viewsheds, and the approaches taken by both armies to reach the battlefield have been well preserved, welcoming tens of thousands of visitors annually and allowing for an up-close view of this important part of our history.

Members of the public are invited to learn more about this year’s 11 Most list and what they can do to support hundreds of sites that remain endangered at SavingPlaces.org/11Most

The 2017 list of America's 11 Most Success Stories (in alphabetical order):

• Angel Island Immigration Station – San Francisco, Calif. A point of entry to the U.S. for immigrants from eighty countries across the Pacific Rim between 1910 and 1940, but abandoned since World War II, the remaining buildings of the Immigration Station were scheduled to be torn down until park ranger Alexander Weiss re-discovered writings on the walls, inaugurating a long-term grassroots preservation effort. Listed in 1999, the now restored poems carved into its walls by Chinese detainees illustrate these immigrants’ stories and serve as a stirring reminder of the challenges they overcame.
• Antietam National Battlefield – Sharpsburg, Md. One of the most significant events in American history, the Battle of Antietam influenced the outcome of the Civil War and immediately led President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. First listed in 1988 in response to a flawed proposal to construct a shopping center and other buildings on battlefield land, the listing helped to galvanize support and action by local, state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations, resulting in a true preservation success story.
• Cathedral of St. Vibiana – Los Angeles, Calif. Opened in 1876 following five years of construction, the Cathedral endured until 1995, when the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles began to move ahead with plans to demolish it. Listed in 1997, the ultimately successful fight to save the then-Cathedral of St. Vibiana was a defining moment for Los Angeles preservationists.
• Governors Island – New York, NY. Once the nation’s oldest continuously used military post, Governors Island played roles in several eras of American history until 1995, when the military left and the Island faced an uncertain future. Listed in 1998, Governors Island has been transformed from an underused historic property into an active and indelible community resource that is loved by native New Yorkers and visitors alike.
• Historic Boston Theaters – Boston, Mass. Once lavish palaces, the Boston Opera House, Paramount Theatre and Modern Theater had fallen into disrepair when they were listed in 1995. The listing led to the late Mayor Thomas Menino and city agencies to develop a network of partnerships to rehabilitate the theaters and revitalize the surrounding neighborhood, resulting in a key preservation success story for the city
• Little Rock Central High School – Little Rock, Ark. When listed in 1996, the school that had been at the center of the nation’s school desegregation debate was suffering from deterioration. Still in operation as a public high school, it has also been established by Congress as the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site that teaches visitors about our nation’s ongoing struggle to achieve civil rights for all.
• Nine Mile Canyon – Utah. The ‘world’s longest art gallery’ contains thousands of ancient Native American cultural resources. When listed in 2004, truck-traffic, dust and chemical dust-suppressant were damaging these irreplaceable treasures. Paving the Canyon road has alleviated this threat, and also made its vast cultural resources more accessible to visitors.
• Penn School – Frogmore, S.C. Founded in 1862, the Penn School was one of the first schools in the South for freed slaves, operating until the post-World War II years when many students left and the school eventually closed and was deteriorating. After being named to the 11 Most list in 1990, several campus buildings have been restored and the renamed Penn Center has become a leader in cultural preservation that President Obama recognized in 2017 as part of the Reconstruction Era National Monument
• President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home – Washington, D.C. Since being named to the List in 2000, President Lincoln’s Cottage has transformed from a threatened site to one of the most visited, revered and vibrant places in Washington that serves as a gathering place for discussion, education and reconciliation.
• Statler Hilton Hotel – Dallas, Texas. A Modernist crown jewel and center of community life in Dallas for decades, when listed in 2008 the Statler had fallen into disrepair and faced calls for its demolition. Now set to reopen, the stunning transformation of the Statler Hilton is a poster child for the power of the historic tax credit and a significant example of the ways that older and historic buildings can contribute to the vibrancy of their communities
• Travelers’ Rest – Travelers’ Rest, Mont. The only place where archaeological evidence of a Lewis and Clark encampment can be found, the site’s integrity was threatened by development. The 1999 11 Most listing helped spur action to protect the landscape as a state park.

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America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has identified nearly 300 threatened one-of-a-kind historic treasures since 1988. Whether these sites are urban districts or rural landscapes, Native American landmarks or 20th-century sports arenas, entire communities or single buildings, the list spotlights historic places across America that are threatened by neglect, insufficient funds, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy. The designation has been a powerful tool for raising awareness and rallying resources to save endangered sites from every region of the country. At times, that attention has garnered public support to quickly rescue a treasured landmark; while in other instances, it has been the impetus of a long battle to save an important piece of our history.