Discover America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places for 2021

Each year, America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places sheds light on important examples of our nation’s heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage. More than 300 places have been listed in its 34-year history, and in that time, fewer than 5 percent of listed sites have been lost.

The 2021 list includes a diverse mix of historic places nationwide that celebrate the interconnection of American culture and acknowledge it as a multicultural fabric that, when pieced together, helps tell the full American story.

But with threats ranging from deterioration to climate change to inappropriate development, these special places are at serious risk. Browse the list below and learn what you can do to support these irreplaceable sites.

Mississippi Site Among Listed Properties:

The Riverside Hotel - Clarksdale, Mississippi

In 1944, Mrs. Z.L. Ratliffe opened The Riverside Hotel as a boarding house for Black people, eventually extending the building to include 20 guest rooms over two floors. As one of the only Black hotels and boarding homes in Jim Crow-era Mississippi, The Riverside played host to a who's who of musical legends such as Muddy Waters, Sam Cooke, Howlin’ Wolf, and Duke Ellington, making it central to American musical history as a landmark of the legendary Delta Blues sound and—literally—one of the birthplaces of rock and roll.

Owned by the Ratliffe family since 1957, The Riverside is also the only hotel related to blues history that is still Black-owned in Clarksdale. But the building, which has not been operational since storm damage in April 2020, needs significant rehabilitation. The current owners are seeking partnerships and funding to repair and reopen the hotel so it can continue to serve as a destination for musicians, tour groups, and other blues aficionados.