Apply for 2021 America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places

We are now accepting applications for the 2021 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.  Deadline for submissions is Monday, February 1 at 11:59 p.m. EST. If you know of an important site across the country that could benefit from the national spotlight that only the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places program can deliver, please consider submitting it for the 2021 list.

Since 1988, the National Trust has used its list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places to raise awareness about the threats facing some of our nation's greatest treasures. The list, which has identified more than 300 sites to date, has been so successful in galvanizing preservation efforts that less than five percent of these sites have been lost.

When evaluating a potential site for inclusion on the list, we consider a range of factors, including its significance, whether there is a local group engaged in its preservation, the urgency of the threat the site faces, and potential solutions to that threat. As part of the National Trust’s commitment to telling the full American story, we particularly encourage nominations for places that illuminate a unique or overlooked aspect of American history and that expand our understanding of our shared national heritage.

What is the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America list?

For more than 30 years, the National Trust’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has spotlighted important and threatened historic places across the country. Since the first list was issued in 1988, it has helped to save a diverse range of places that help to tell the American story—from Houston’s iconic Astrodome to sacred Civil War battlefields, from revered Modernist structures like the soaring TWA Terminal at New York’s JFK Airport, to the modest Rosenwald Schools that helped educate African American students during segregation. While placement on the 11 Most list does not confer specific legal protections, we are proud of the fact that fewer than five percent of listed sites have been lost.

What is the process for selecting sites for the list?

A team from the National Trust thoroughly reviews all applications. All decisions regarding the sites that comprise the final list are made by senior executive staff of the National Trust.

Can I apply again if my application isn’t accepted this year?

Yes. While re-applying is no guarantee of selection, we’re always happy to review repeat applications.

Why 11? Why not 10 like other lists?

National Trust lore is that, when the first list was being put together in 1988, the National Trust had winnowed it down to 11 places and left it to then-president J. Jackson Walter to get it down to 10. He believed all 11 were important and needed to be on the list, so it stayed 11 and it’s been that way ever since.

What criteria guide the selection of sites for the list?

When evaluating a potential site for inclusion on the list, we consider a range of factors, including its significance, whether there is a local group engaged in its preservation, the urgency of the threat the site faces, and potential solutions to that threat. Sites do not need to be nationally significant to make the list. We’re looking for places that matter to you and the people in your community. Sites that illuminate a unique or overlooked aspect of American history and that expand our understanding of our shared national heritage are particularly encouraged to apply.

Will my application be rejected if I don’t have all the requested information?

Please attempt to provide as much information as possible about the site. While partially completed application forms will be considered, we strongly encourage to you to complete the form as fully as possible.