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Built largely between 1914 and 1917 by Chicagoan James Deering as his winter residence, Vizcaya is one of the best remaining examples from the American Renaissance, when wealthy U.S. industrialists built lavish estates inspired by the traditions of the European Renaissance.

The Caribbean plantation-style Bonnet House, built in 1921, was once the waterfront winter residence of American artist Frederic Clay Bartlett and his wife.

Three high-rise condominium towers are planned for within Vizcaya's viewshed, and an 18-story hotel tower is planned for within 200 feet (60 meters) of the Bonnet House gardens.

The pending development of out-of-scale buildings near these houses, along with corresponding zoning changes, stands to permanently disrupt the serenity of the sites, and could set a precedent for future high-rise structures.

California State Parks

Another listed "place" for 2008 is the entire system of California State Parks, the largest park system in the United States.

Years of chronic underfunding have created a $1.2 billion backlog of deferred maintenance. Recent proposed budget cuts that would have led to the closure of 48 state parks have been avoided, but current funds still cover only 40 percent of actual maintenance and operations needs.

The system comprises 278 parks, including 51 State Historic Parks, and encompasses 1.5 million acres (607,000 hectares) and 295 miles (475 kilometers) of ocean front. Significant historic sites include the 1820s Franciscan La Purisima Mission complex near Lompoc, the 1853 Benicia Capitol, and the historic mission plaza at San Juan Bautista.

Lewis and Clark Landscape

The Great Falls Portage near Great Falls, Montana, is a National Historic Landmark and one of the best-preserved and most accessible landscapes along the Lewis and Clark Trail. The site marks the 18-mile (29-kilometer) portage by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark's expedition around the Great Falls of the Missouri River in 1805.

Current plans call for construction of a massive coal-fired power plant nearby — an industrial development that will irreparably harm the cultural and visual landscape if carried out.

The 2008 "Most Endangered" list, announced in May, is the 21st such list that the National Trust has issued to highlight significant heritage sites that are at risk, with the potential for rescue. Thanks in part to this exposure, of the 200 sites that have been listed so far, according to the National Trust only six of have been lost.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to save diverse historic places in the United States and to revitalize neighborhoods and communities.

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SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE The Bonnet House Museum & Gardens is one of two historic Florida homes named to the National Trust's list of threatened buildings for 2008. Photo: Dune Weidhuner Recalling Venetian Renaissance architecture, Vizcaya was built in Miami as a winter home for James Deering. Photo: Paul M. Bettini Extra Large Image SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE La Purisima Mission complex is one of the California State Parks system's notable threatened assets. Photo: Frank Balthis Extra Large Image A deferred maintenance backlog caused by chronic underfunding has endangered the California State Parks, such as Sutter's Fort State Park in Sacramento. Photo: Robert English Extra Large Image Construction of a coal-fired power plant as planned would disrupt the rural Great Falls Portage, near Great Falls, Montana — one of the best-preserved landscapes along the the Lewis and Clark trail. Photo: Courtesy Montana Preservation Alliance Extra Large Image The Great Falls Portage National Historic Landmark marks Lewis and Clark's 1805 portage around the Great Falls of the Missouri River. Photo: Courtesy National Park Service Extra Large Image   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.