The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named the Old U.S. Mint in San Francisco, CA, 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.

Built in 1874, the Old U.S. Mint in San Francisco is a National Historic Landmark and one of the very few downtown buildings to survive the 1906 earthquake and fire that devastated the city center. The city’s sole financial institution still standing in the wake of the disaster, the Old U.S. Mint not only safeguarded $200 million in gold reserves that backed the U.S dollar, but also served as the city's depository for all emergency financial transactions as the city embarked on a monumental recovery effort.

The “Granite Lady” remains a commanding presence just south of Market Street, an area that is being transformed by an unprecedented tech-fueled construction boom, with historic buildings being rehabilitated and dozens of new mid- and high-rise commercial and buildings already built, under construction, or in the planning stages.

A restored and reactivated Old U.S. Mint should be part of the legacy of the current economic boom. Instead, as glistening new construction rises all around, the Old U.S. Mint stands shuttered, deteriorating, and at risk of being forgotten. Despite the building’s prominence and history, this is the Old Mint’s second stint on the National Trust’s America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list because its future is still uncertain. First named to the list in 1994, this iconic building stands forlorn and forgotten in the heart of the city, increasingly at risk as decades of neglect and inattention to both its structural needs and cultural importance take their toll.

“A survivor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, the Old Mint serves as a symbol of resilience and permanence in a city marked by rapid transformations,” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Situated at ground zero of a tech-fueled boom, the Old Mint has the potential to serve as a cultural linchpin connecting San Francisco’s rise as an economic powerhouse fueled by gold and silver to the city’s current role as global center of innovation.”

Currently, the public has no access to the Old U.S. Mint, which is owned by the City. There is strong public desire to restore the Old U.S. Mint as a cultural focal point with increased public interaction in and around the space.

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 Jr. 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. It is currently threatened by a development proposal

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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.