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***EMBARGOED UNTIL 3:00 AM EST ON APRIL 28, 2009***
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National Trust For Historic Preservation Names The Cast-Iron Architecture Of Galveston, Texas, To Its 2009 List Of America’S 11 Most Endangered Historic Places®
Washington, D.C. (April 28, 2009) – Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named the Cast-Iron Architecture of Galveston, Texas, to its 2009 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places®. This annual list highlights important examples of the nation’s architectural, cultural and natural heritage that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage.
Rust corrodes the cast-iron columns of the W. L. Moody Building at 2202-2206 Strand. The building was designed by Galveston's famous Nicholas Clayton in 1883.
The late-19th-century Greek Revival and Italianate buildings with elaborate cast-iron storefronts in Galveston’s 12-block Strand/Mechanic National Historic Landmark District constitute one of the largest collections of historic commercial buildings in the country. They are reminders of a time when this small island was a center of finance and commerce, with a bustling commercial district nicknamed “The Wall Street of the Southwest.” Although the buildings have weathered storms and economic downturns, the blow delivered by Hurricane Ike in September of 2008 has left the Galveston historic commercial district fighting to survive.
On September 13, 2008, Galveston Island took a direct hit from Hurricane Ike, and the downtown commercial district was flooded with 10–13 feet of a noxious mix of salt water, oil and debris. When the water receded after two days, the full impact could be seen: destroyed interiors, ruined mechanical systems and the devastation of Galveston’s trademark decorative cast-iron embellishments. In addition, Hurricane Ike’s wrath has created structural deficiencies, posing a threat to the integrity of many of the district’s buildings.
“The combination of Hurricane Ike and the recession has dealt a strong blow to the Strand/Mechanic Historic District, one of the most intact, architecturally significant collections of commercial buildings in the country,” said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “It’s urgent that we bring Galveston’s historic commercial district back to life by seeking creative solutions before it’s too late to save this cherished community anchor.”
When it was founded in the 1830s, Galveston was little more than a barrier island with a natural harbor and a barren landscape. Within decades, the city’s founders had created a major port, employing architectural cast iron – both structural and ornamental – as the preferred building material. More than 44% of the buildings in the Strand/Mechanic district have cast-iron storefronts, along with buildings along Market and Post Office streets, and many more have brick fronts with cast-iron details. The cast iron storefronts took the full force of Hurricane Ike’s assault, and today, the 1859 Hendley Buildings, once used as a Civil War lookout and, also, reportedly where the first shot of the Battle of Galveston was fired, are suffering from severe structural problems and demolition by neglect.
For more than three decades, the Galveston Historical Foundation has championed economic revitalization in the historic district, and each year it holds a well-attended holiday festival, Dickens on the Strand. Even before Hurricane Ike, however, downtown Galveston was experiencing an economic downturn that saw businesses leaving and buildings deteriorating due to neglect. In addition, many business owners had no flood insurance and have not reopened in the wake of the storm – and FEMA’s relief efforts have been slow to unfold. Compounding the already dire situation, the City of Galveston is facing a severe economic decline and has been unable to offer assistance with the revitalization of the historic commercial district.
The 2009 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places was made possible, in part, by a grant from HistoryTM. Local preservation groups across the nation submitted nominations for this year's list; the nomination for the Cast-Iron Architecture of Galveston, Texas was submitted by the Galveston Historical Foundation.
The public is invited to learn more about what they can do to support these and hundreds of other endangered sites, experience first-hand accounts of these places, and share stories and photos of their own at www.PreservationNation.org/11Most.
To download high resolution images of this year’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, visit http://press.nationaltrust.org/
The 2009 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places (in alphabetical order):
Ames Shovel Shops, Easton, Mass.— In southeastern Massachusetts, the Ames Shovel Shops complex, an intact 19th-century industrial village that resembles a picture-perfect New England college campus, is threatened by a plan to demolish several of the site’s historic buildings and radically alter others to pave the way for new mixed-use development.
Cast-Iron Architecture of Galveston, Texas— The assemblage of late-19th-century Greek Revival and Italianate buildings with elaborate cast-iron storefronts in Galveston’s 12-block Strand/Mechanic National Historic Landmark District is one of the largest collections of historic commercial buildings in the country. Unfortunately, the widespread flooding caused by Hurricane Ike in September 2008 caused extensive damage, leaving the district fighting to survive.
Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles, Calif.— Opened in 1966, the 19-story curved hotel, designed by renowned architect Minoru Yamasaki, who would later design New York's World Trade Center twin towers, has been a prominent Los Angeles landmark for more than four decades. Despite a $36 million facelift just over a year ago, the hotel’s new owners now intend to raze the building and replace it with two 600-foot, “environmentally sensitive” towers.
Dorchester Academy, Midway, Ga.— Founded in 1868 as a school for freed slaves, Dorchester Academy started humbly in a one-room schoolhouse and later gained prominence as a center for voter registration drives during the civil rights movement. The academy’s last remaining building, a handsome 1934 Greek Revival dormitory, is deteriorating and structurally compromised.
Human Services Center, Yankton, S.D.— Founded in 1879 as the South Dakota Hospital for the Insane and once regarded as a model institution of its kind, this campus comprises a collection of neoclassical, Art Deco and Italianate buildings that have stood vacant for years. Despite the site’s potential for innovative reuse and appropriate redevelopment, the State is moving forward with plans to demolish 11 historic buildings on the Yankton campus.
Lāna‘i City, Hawai‘i— One of Hawaii’s eight main islands, Lāna‘i, known as the “Pineapple Isle,” has lush tropical beaches, breathtaking natural beauty, lavish resorts and one attraction none of the other islands can claim: an intact plantation town. Lāna‘i City, built by pineapple baron James Dole in the 1920s, features plantation-style homes, a laundromat, jail, courthouse and police station, and is now threatened by a large-scale commercial development calling for the destruction or significant alteration of 15-20 historic buildings.
The Manhattan Project’s Enola Gay Hangar, Wendover Airfield, Utah— The hangar that housed the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress that dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, is, along with other Manhattan Project sites, in a critical state of disrepair.
Memorial Bridge, Portsmouth, N.H. to Kittery, Maine— For more than 85 years, Memorial Bridge, the first major lift bridge in the eastern US, has been a sturdy and dramatic landmark, spanning the Piscataqua River and connecting two coastal towns steeped in history. But like so many others in the nation, the bridge has suffered from tight budgets and postponed maintenance. The states of Maine and New Hampshire have not yet agreed on a plan to save Memorial Bridge and are now considering their options, including its removal – a move that would be costly and in direct opposition to the desires of local residents in two communities.
Miami Marine Stadium, Virginia Key, Fla.— Completed in 1963, Miami Marine Stadium is both a South Florida landmark and an icon of modern design. Built entirely of poured concrete and featuring a dramatically cantilevered folded-plate roof, the stadium is a sentimental favorite of many Miami residents. After sustaining damage during Hurricane Andrew in 1992, the stadium, a prime target for developers, closed and has since suffered from years of deterioration, vandalism and neglect.
Mount Taylor, near Grants, N.M.— Located in the southwestern corner of New Mexico’s San Mateo Mountains, midway between Albuquerque and Gallup, Mount Taylor, with an elevation of nearly 12,000 feet, is startlingly beautiful and a sacred place for as many as 30 Native American tribes. Currently, the mountain is under threat from exploration and proposals for uranium mining, which, if allowed to proceed, would have a devastating impact on this cherished historic place.
Unity Temple, Oak Park, Ill.— Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple, designed for a Unitarian congregation in Oak Park, is widely acknowledged as a masterpiece of 20th-century architecture. Completed in 1908, the cubist, flat-roofed structure is also one of the earliest public buildings to feature exposed concrete, one of Wright’s signature design elements. Years of water infiltration have compromised the structure, prompting a multi-million-dollar rescue effort that the current congregation cannot afford.
America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places has identified more than 200 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. Learn more at www.PreservationNation.org/11Most.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation (www.PreservationNation.org) is a non-profit membership organization bringing people together to protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter to them. By saving the places where great moments from history – and the important moments of everyday life – took place, the National Trust for Historic Preservation helps revitalize neighborhoods and communities, spark economic development and promote environmental sustainability. With headquarters in Washington, DC, nine regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in all 50 states, the National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places, connecting us to our history and collectively shaping the future of America’s stories.
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To download a map and descriptions of downtown Galveston buildings with cast-iron, click here.
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