WASHINGTON — The National Trust for Historic Preservation launched its “40 Under 40 Places” contest on Jan. 7.
Forty of the most important, most interesting, and quirkiest American places 40 years old or less have been compiled by the staff of Preservation?magazine. The by-no-means-comprehensive list includes sites both well-known and obscure, high-end and low-budget, urban and rural.
Places typically aren’t considered historic until they’ve been around for at least 50 years, so why highlight younger sites now? Because by looking at them through a preservation lens and identifying places worthy of saving before they become truly historic, we can be proactive about their futures.
Until Jan. 18, you can vote for your favorite places on the list by going to https://savingplaces.org/40-under-40-places. You can vote for multiple places, but you can’t vote for the same place twice. The contest winner will be determined by popular vote, so share with your friends before time runs out. Don’t forget to read the voting terms.
Each place on the list was built in 1978 or later, and each makes an important contribution in one of six categories: Arts, Science and Tech, Culture, History, Landscapes, and Housing. Top vote-getters will be featured in the Spring 2019 issue of Preservation.
A Los Angeles location on the list is the Go For Broke Monument in Little Tokyo, which honors more than 33,000 Japanese Americans who served in the U.S. military during World War II. It takes its name from a battle cry of the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, “Go For Broke,” Hawaiian gambler’s slang for risking everything.
Also on the list is the Portland Japanese Garden, which opened in Portland, Ore., in 1963. In 2017 the site was significantly expanded with a new visitor center, hillside garden, bonsai terrace, and tea flower garden, all of which provide an immersive experience.
The other sites, by state:
Alabama: National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Montgomery; Rural Studio, Newbern
Arizona: Biosphere 2, Oracle; Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (also in Nevada)
Arkansas: Thorncrown Chapel, Eureka Springs
California: Glidehouse, Novato; Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles; Great Wall of Los Angeles, North Hollywood; Googleplex, Mountain View
Colorado: Denver International Airport
District of Columbia: National Mall Places
Florida: Atlantis Condominium, Miami; Wynwood Walls, Miami; 1111 Lincoln Road Parking Garage, Miami Beach
Georgia: Atlanta BeltLine, Atlanta
Illinois: Aqua Tower, Chicago; Harold Washington Library, Chicago; Millennium Park, Chicago
Indiana: Mill Race Park, Columbus
Louisiana: Musicians’ Village, New Orleans
Maryland: Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, Church Creek; Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore
Michigan: Islamic Center of America, Dearborn
Minnesota: Paisley Park, Chanhassen
Nebraska: Desert Dome, Omaha
New Mexico: Very Large Array, Socorro County
New York: Gay Liberation Monument, New York City; Via Verde, New York City; Battery Park City, New York City; Herb Brooks Arena, Lake Placid; National September 11 Museum & Memorial, New York City
Oregon: Tilikum Crossing, Portland
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, Philadelphia; Flight 93 National Memorial
South Carolina: Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, Bishopville
Texas: Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth; James Turrell’s Twilight Epiphany Skyspace, Houston
Virginia: Pentagon Memorial
Washington: Seattle Central Library, Seattle
Wisconsin: Quadracci Pavilion at Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee
Note: The three 9/11 memorials count as one unit.