11 Most Endangered Historic Places
Prairie Churches of North Dakota
Year Listed: 2001
Location: North Dakota
Threat: Deterioration, Natural Forces, Neglect
Photo: Rick Craig
Were it not for the prairie church, the vast North Dakota landscape would stretch unbroken to the horizon. Often founded by first-generation settlers from Germany, Poland, Iceland, Russia, and Scandinavia, the simple prairie church was usually the first building to go up when a town was settled – and the last to close its doors if the community died out.
In 2001, nearly 400 of the state's 2,000 churches were vacant and threatened by inadequate maintenance and demolition.