Dear Reader Sam, writes:
"I live in a community in Pennsylvania that is built around the ruins of a 20th Century Mansion called Whitemarsh Hall, originally designed by Horace Trumbauer. What I am trying to figure out is just how unusual preserved 20th century ruins are in the US. It seems to me that most 20th century buildings no longer in use are just torn down. I can't find any list of preserved ruins -- other than Native American ones -- in the US. Do you know of any such list or how I would go about compiling such a list? And do you have a sense of how many preserved 20th century ruins there are in the US?"
There are numerous 20th century buildings which have been preserved, but citing a precise number would be darn near impossible, since many are in private hands, and being lovingly preserved by private individuals. However, there is a list of historic (and prehistoric) structures which have been recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register was formed in 1966 as part of a national program "to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archaeological resources". Over 80,000 National Register properties have been listed in the database, but they include all kinds of cultural properties, not just buildings. Luckily for you and all of us, the list of National Register properties is in a searchable online database.
The most interesting way to explore the NR database is by theme --- one of the organizing features of the National Register is the development of reasons why a particular structure should be listed on the NR. As you might imagine, there are many many many cultural resources that might be preserved (rather than destroyed during road construction, for example), and themes, which describe the importance of a particular set of structures, are the result of that endeavor. Themes which apply to 20th century structures include the American Civil Rights Movement, Japanese Americans in World War II, and the American Aviation Heritage Theme Study. Dig in! I can promise you an entertaining and educational experience.
There are numerous 20th century buildings which have been preserved, but citing a precise number would be darn near impossible, since many are in private hands, and being lovingly preserved by private individuals. However, there is a list of historic (and prehistoric) structures which have been recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. The National Register was formed in 1966 as part of a national program "to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect our historic and archaeological resources". Over 80,000 National Register properties have been listed in the database, but they include all kinds of cultural properties, not just buildings. Luckily for you and all of us, the list of National Register properties is in a searchable online database.
The most interesting way to explore the NR database is by theme --- one of the organizing features of the National Register is the development of reasons why a particular structure should be listed on the NR. As you might imagine, there are many many many cultural resources that might be preserved (rather than destroyed during road construction, for example), and themes, which describe the importance of a particular set of structures, are the result of that endeavor. Themes which apply to 20th century structures include the American Civil Rights Movement, Japanese Americans in World War II, and the American Aviation Heritage Theme Study. Dig in! I can promise you an entertaining and educational experience.
- The National Register of Historic Places
- Research at the National Register, includes a link to the database as well as some information about how to use it
- Theme Studies at the National Register
- Cultural Resource Management, describes how some properties come to be listed in the National Register.
- More Frequently Asked Questions in Archaeology
Comments
Interesting. When I think of 20th century ruins, the things that come to mind are the scattered remains of the old Route 66. OK, so they’re not buildings, but for folks like me who grew up with long vacation trips by car, they’re definitely high on the list.
I totally agree! During my archaeological career I recorded several bits of extant roadway, from old ruts from a handcart trail to old military roadways to abandoned railroad grades.
Of course, they’re not as interesting as Route 66…
Old railroad lines are another goodie. My ex is a “pathological” train-freak, and we spent a lot of our vacation time stomping around railroad properties, including a lot of abandoned lines, abandoned or converted stations, etc. He got a little irked at me when I told him I thought “places where the railroad used to be” were far more interesting than the operating railroads.
Now, if only we could get all those former rail lines converted into bike and hike trails…….