The National Trust for Historic Preservation has just released its 2013 list of the most endangered historic places in the U.S.
The sites on the list range from Houston's Astrodome to a New England lighthouse to a tiny church in Maine that was once a stop on the Underground Railroad—and all of these places are in danger of somehow being compromised or destroyed.
Many of the buildings are of great cultural value, but without changes to public policy and adequate funding, these national treasures could quickly disappear.
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THE JAMES RIVER, JAMES COUNTY, VA: Jamestown, America's first permanent European settlement, sprung up along the James River in 1607 and historians want to preserve the scenic integrity of the area. An electric company is proposing to erect an 8-mile-long transmission line which could potentially include 17 towers and would ruin the historic area's landscape.
THE ASTRODOME, HOUSTON, TEXAS: Opened in 1965 and touted as the "eighth wonder of the world," the Houston Astrodome was the world's first domed multi-purpose stadium. Closed since 2008, the stadium faces demolition if it cannot be suitably repurposed.
RANCHO CUCAMONGA CHINATOWN HOUSE, RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIF.: A city landmark since 1985, this two-story California lodge was part boarding house and part general store, and once housed nearly 50 Chinese-American laborers. Historians and Chinese heritage groups alike are fighting to save the building from demolition.
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