Every year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation releases a list of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” They’ve been doing it for 30 years. To mark the anniversary, the organization today sent out a press release touting success stories, endangered historic places that are being saved. The Statler is on the list, which is a big deal. You can read below what the National Trust has to say about the importance of the Statler. But one thing not mentioned: the place was supposed to reopen last year. And the IRS is all over the developer, Mehrdad Moayedi. Work on the project does continue. But let’s not celebrate too early here and pull a Leon Lett.
Here’s the National Trust on the Statler, which is says is “thriving and contributing to [its] communit[y]”:
Today, to mark the 30th anniversary of the America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list and how it has been a catalyst for the preservation of threatened historic sites around the country, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is issuing a retrospective list culled from the nearly 300 sites named to the program since its inception. The 2017 list highlights 11 once-endangered sites, including the Statler Hilton Hotel, that are now thriving and contributing to their communities—while also focusing attention on the extraordinary efforts undertaken to bring them back from the brink. The Statler Hilton appeared on the 11 Most Endangered list in 2008.
“The Statler Hilton Hotel was a crown jewel of Dallas that will now once again serve as a vibrant center of community life for people in the Metroplex,” said Stephanie Meeks, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “The successful transformation of the Statler Hilton is a poster child for the power of the historic tax credit and a significant example of the ways that older and historic buildings can contribute to the vibrancy of their communities. Texas is a place that loves its superlatives, and as the largest historic tax credit project in the state of Texas, this one has definitely earned its bragging rights.”
When the Statler Hilton opened in downtown Dallas in 1956, its sheer size, bold form and innovative architectural features soon made it an icon of mid-20th-century design. Completed at a cost of $16 million, the Statler Hilton was once the largest convention space in the South. The Y-shaped building employed a flat-slab structural system, the first full application of its kind, which reduced the number of columns and allowed for an innovative modular thin-skinned curtain wall design consisting of 1 3/8” thick panels made of glass and porcelain coated steel panels. These progressive features made it a significant contributor to the Modern movement in Dallas and the state of Texas.
Once hailed as the most modern hotel in the country, the Statler Hotel sat vacant for many years with calls for its demolition. Located on an increasingly attractive piece of real estate, the Statler Hilton faced an uncertain future as encroaching development pressure heightened the threat of demolition. The saving of the Statler Hilton is an exemplary reuse of mid-century modern buildings that are often overlooked in large urban areas.
Through preservation efforts and the help of state and federal tax credits, the Statler Hilton will soon be fully restored to its former glory. With a $175 million renovation of the Statler underway, it is currently the largest tax credit project in Texas. Plans for the redevelopment include 7,800 square feet of retail space, 19,000 square feet of restaurant space, a 2,200-square-foot hotel bar and 2,900 square feet of meeting space. The renovated building will house luxury apartments, a Hilton Curio Hotel, and include two rooftop pools with amazing views of downtown Dallas.
And here are the other historic places that the National Trust has put on the celebratory list:
Angel Island Immigration Station – San Francisco, Calif. A point of entry to the U.S. for immigrants from eighty countries across the Pacific Rim between 1910 and 1940, but abandoned since World War II, the remaining buildings of the Immigration Station were scheduled to be torn down until park ranger Alexander Weiss re-discovered writings on the walls, inaugurating a long-term grassroots preservation effort. Listed in 1999, the now restored poems carved into its walls by Chinese detainees illustrate these immigrants’ stories and serve as a stirring reminder of the challenges they overcame.
Antietam National Battlefield – Sharpsburg, Md. One of the most significant events in American history, the Battle of Antietam influenced the outcome of the Civil War and immediately led President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
First listed in 1988 in response to a flawed proposal to construct a shopping center and other buildings on battlefield land, the listing helped to galvanize support and action by local, state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations, resulting in a true preservation success story.
Cathedral of St. Vibiana – Los Angeles, Calif. Opened in 1876 following five years of construction, the Cathedral endured until 1995, when the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles began to move ahead with plans to demolish it. Listed in 1997, the ultimately successful fight to save the then-Cathedral of St. Vibiana was a defining moment for Los Angeles preservationists.
Governors Island – New York, NY. Once the nation’s oldest continuously used military post, Governors Island played roles in several eras of American history until 1995, when the military left and the Island faced an uncertain future. Listed in 1998, Governors Island has been transformed from an underused historic property into an active and indelible community resource that is loved by native New Yorkers and visitors alike.
Historic Boston Theaters – Boston, Mass. Once lavish palaces, the Boston Opera House, Paramount Theatre and Modern Theater had fallen into disrepair when they were listed in 1995. The listing led to the late Mayor Thomas Menino and city agencies to develop a network of partnerships to rehabilitate the theaters and revitalize the surrounding neighborhood, resulting in a key preservation success story for the city
Little Rock Central High School – Little Rock, Ark. When listed in 1996, the school that had been at the center of the nation’s school desegregation debate was suffering from deterioration. Still in operation as a public high school, it has also been established by Congress as the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site that teaches visitors about our nation’s ongoing struggle to achieve civil rights for all.
Nine Mile Canyon – Utah. The ‘world’s longest art gallery’ contains thousands of ancient Native American cultural resources. When listed in 2004, truck-traffic, dust and chemical dust-suppressant were damaging these irreplaceable treasures. Paving the Canyon road has alleviated this threat, and also made its vast cultural resources more accessible to visitors.
Penn School – Frogmore, S.C. Founded in 1862, the Penn School was one of the first schools in the South for freed slaves, operating until the post-World War II years when many students left and the school eventually closed and was deteriorating. After being named to the 11 Most list in 1990, several campus buildings have been restored and the renamed Penn Center has become a leader in cultural preservation that President Obama recognized in 2017 as part of the Reconstruction Era National Monument
President Lincoln’s Cottage at the Soldiers’ Home – Washington, D.C. Since being named to the List in 2000, President Lincoln’s Cottage has transformed from a threatened site to one of the most visited, revered and vibrant places in Washington that serves as a gathering place for discussion, education and reconciliation.
Travelers’ Rest – Travelers’ Rest, Mont. The only place where archaeological evidence of a Lewis and Clark encampment can be found, the site’s integrity was threatened by development. The 1999 11 Most listing helped spur action to protect the landscape as a state park.
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About America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places Program
Over the past 30 years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has used its annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places to spotlight important examples of the nation’s architectural and cultural heritage that were at risk of destruction or irreparable damage. Of the sites that appeared on the list since 1988, fewer than five percent have been lost.Members of the public are invited to learn more about this year’s 11 Most list and what they can do to support hundreds of sites that remain endangered at www.SavingPlaces.org/11Most
