The National Trust for Historic Preservation has dubbed a gas station among the “most endangered historic places” in the United States.
Built in 1929, the Osterman Gas Station in Peach Springs, Arizona, has been a focal point of the Hualapai Tribal community for generations, according to the National Trust’s 2023 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Located along Route 66, extreme weather has damaged the already deteriorated building, and it needs stabilization and rehabilitation to continue to serve its community and the next generation of travelers. In consultation with experts, the Tribe is developing a preservation and reuse plan and raising funds to save the Hualapai-owned gas station.
The National Trust’s list is an annual ranking that spotlights significant sites of American history that are at risk of destruction or irreparable damage.
“This year’s list ... is a portfolio of sites that are nearly as diverse as the American experience itself,” said Jay Clemens, interim president and CEO of the National Trust. “The places on this list come in all forms, from individual residences to entire neighborhoods, and are located across the country from small communities to urban streetcorners and rural landscapes.”
Other sites on the 2023 list include the Seattle Chinatown-International District, Charleston, South Carolina’s historic neighborhoods, Henry Ossawa Tanner House in Philadelphia and others. Click here to review the complete list.
“The diversity of sites on the 2023 list—and the stories behind them—reflect the complexities and challenges that have always been part of what it means to be American but have not always received the attention they deserve,” Clemens said. “Losing any of them would diminish us all.”
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