Pine needles, champagne corks, and large bulldozers

It’s that special time of year again.  Soon the needles will have fallen off the tree and the New Year’s eve streamers will lie unfurled on the floor.

With all the flurry of activity (and snow), don’t forget that nominations for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2010 Most Endangered Historic Places list are due on January 8.  

While I would love a new year in which special, place-defining buildings, bridges and whatnot were safe from falling down or being knocked down, that simply isn’t the case.  See the link below for full information on nominations.  Then put “Nominate an at-risk site to NTHP” on your list of 2010 resolutions.

The key criteria are:

Significance:  The architectural, artistic, and/or historic importance of a site whithin its cultural, social, or geographical context. The places on the 11 Most list need not be famous, but they must be significant whithin their own cultural context and illustrate important issues in preservation. Some previous listings are of undisputed national significance, while others have been included for their role in a unique cultural tradition, for their rare architectural design, or as the last surving example of a style, building type, or resource.

Urgency:  The need for immediate action to stop or reverse serious threats. Potential 11 Most listings may represent stages of physical deterioration or unfavorable conditions including a natural disaster, intentional destruction, neglect, erosion, exposure to the elements, improper planning or preservation.

Solutions:  The actions that can be taken by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, local organizations, and/or the public to help mitigate the threats facing an endangered place in the short or long term.

via 2010 America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places® Nomination Guidelines.