The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named the Fort Worth Stockyards in Fort Worth, Texas to its 2015 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. This annual list spotlights important examples of the nation’s architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage. More than 250 sites have been on the list over its 28-year history, and in that time, only a handful of listed sites have been lost.

The Fort Worth Stockyards historic district is one of the most distinctive historic sites in Texas, representative of the economic and cultural westward expansion in America and the emergence of the cattle and livestock industry. As the first industry in Fort Worth, the stockyards, and later the adjacent meat packing plants, transformed Fort Worth from a small frontier community into a major urban economic center. Today, the area attracts more than three million visitors annually, and its historic architecture, streetscapes and cultural identity contribute to local heritage tourism, an economic driver for Fort Worth.

“San Antonio has the Alamo, Houston has the Astrodome, and Fort Worth has its stockyards” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Just as cities throughout Texas and America have historic places that help define their identity, Fort Worth’s Stockyards represents a culture and history ingrained in the city’s character, and the cattle and livestock business that revolutionized American industry and appetites. As insensitive development threatens this historically significant place, we believe the local preservation community should be part of the city’s dialogue about the district’s future.”

The stockyards are threatened by plans to implement a nearly 1 million square foot, $175 million redevelopment project in the Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District. In spite of its designation as a National Register Historic District, less than 10 percent of the buildings in Fort Worth’s Stockyards are protected from demolition through local designation. The establishment of a local historic district would be the most effective solution to the threat of insensitive development.

Commissioning a historic resources survey of the stockyards will help Historic Fort Worth and local preservationists navigate the preservation issues and will aid communication with the City of Fort Worth and its chosen development partner, Majestic of California. The survey outcomes would greatly assist local property owners in pursuing designations and taking advantage of local, state, and federal preservation financial incentives.

Members of the public are invited to learn more about what they can do to support these 11 historic places and hundreds of other endangered sites at www.SavingPlaces.org/places

The 2015 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places (in alphabetical order):

A.G. Gaston Motel - Birmingham, Ala. This motel played host to Martin Luther King and served as a “war room” for leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Now vacant and badly deteriorating, it can be restored as part of a new Civil Rights center.

Carrollton Courthouse – New Orleans, La. Built to serve Jefferson Parish before the city of Carrollton was annexed by New Orleans in 1874, this is one of the most significant landmarks outside of the French Quarter. After decades of use as a school building, it is now vacant and for sale with no preservation protections in place.

Chautauqua Amphitheater – Chautauqua, N.Y. A beloved National Historic Landmark that has occupied a special place in American culture for well over 100 years, the “Amp” is threatened by the Chautauqua Institution’s plans to demolish it.

East Point Historic Civic Block– East Point, Ga. East Point City Hall, City Auditorium, City Library and Victory Park form a contiguous block that has been the heart of downtown East Point since the 1930s, but is currently suffering a potential fate of demolition by neglect.

Fort Worth Stockyards – Fort Worth, Texas. This historic district attracts millions of visitors each year to experience Fort Worth’s emergence as a center of the American livestock industry. A large-scale redevelopment project would forever alter the character of the stockyards historic district.

The Grand Canyon – Ariz. A beloved international icon and a sacred place for several Native American tribes, the Grand Canyon is threatened by development proposals ranging from tourist resorts to mining.

Little Havana – Miami, Fla. A symbol of the immigrant experience and the American melting pot, Little Havana’s scale and character is threatened by zoning changes and lack of protection for its many historic buildings.

Oak Flat – Superior, Arizona. A sacred site to the San Carlos Apache and several other Native American tribes, Oak Flat is threatened due to a land exchange provision included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015 that would open the site up to mining.

Old U.S. Mint – San Francisco, Calif. A National Historic Landmark built in 1874 and one of the very few downtown buildings to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire, the Old U.S. Mint is increasingly at risk as decades of neglect and inattention take their toll

South Street Seaport – New York, N.Y. The focal point of the early maritime industry in New York, the South Street Seaport today features some of the oldest architecture in the city. A tower and other development proposals threaten to dramatically alter a historic neighborhood that has endured for generations.

The Factory – West Hollywood, Calif. The Factory was built in 1929 to house the Mitchell Camera Corporation. After being adapted to serve many other uses, The Factory re-opened in 1974 as Studio One, an influential disco for gay men that became a hotbed for celebrity performances and AIDS activism.

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America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has identified more than 250 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.