Skift Take

Americans received a wake up call to the importance of their parks and monuments in 2013 when a partial government shutdown closed hundreds of sites. But there are smaller institutions and patches of land across the country that fight for their survival on a daily basis.


At the end of the year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation compiled a list of what they deemed to be the 10 most exciting historic preservation saves in 2013. The diverse set of sites includes an empty warehouse, historic post office, and the campground of American explorer Meriwether Lewis.

However, the past year wasn’t without some reluctant goodbyes. Delta Air Lines began tearing down the World Port Terminal at JFK Airport to make space for an aircraft parking zone. A court approved the demolition of the first racially integrated library located in Charleston, South Carolina. And preservationists lost a 10-year fight over a historic railroad bridge in Rochester, New York.

A list of preservation wins compiled by the National Trust for Historic Preservation is below and their photos can be seen in the slideshow above.

  1. Peavey Plaza, Minneapolis, Minn.
  2. Jensen-Byrd, Spokane, Washington
  3. Fort Monroe, Hampton, Virginia
  4. Stamford Post Office, Stamford, Connecticut
  5. Montana’s Upper Missouri River Breaks, Central Montana
  6. Terminal Island, Port of Los Angeles
  7. Wrigley Field, Chicago
  8. Five National Monuments designated by President Barack Obama
  9. New Orleans’ Saenger Theatre
  10. Waterfront, Charleston, S.C.

The 10 historic U.S. sites that were lost in 2013:

  1. Prentice Women’s Hospital, Chicago
  2. Cyclorama Center, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
  3. Chinese Hospital, San Francisco
  4. The Pagoda Palace Theater, San Francisco
  5. World Port Terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York
  6. Univision Building, San Antonio, Texas
  7. St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  8. Charleston County Public Library, Charleston, South Carolina
  9. Hojack Swing Bridge, Rochester, New York
  10. Pompey’s Pillar Vandalism and Government Shutdown
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Tags: history, preservation, usa

Photo credit: Skyline patio view from Peavey Plaza, in Minneapolis. Meet Minneapolis / Flickr

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