24 new National Landmarks include civil rights sites and modern architecture marvels

In its last such designation under the Obama administration, the Interior Department just announced two dozen new National Landmarks, covering historic sites and buildings in every corner of the country. Meant to support the department’s goal of telling a more inclusive and diverse story of America, the selections underline a commitment to preserving civil rights sites, Native American history, as well as historic and modern architecture for future generations.

“Their designation ensures future generations have the ability to learn from the past as we preserve and protect the historic value of these properties and the more than 2,500 other landmarks nationwide,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell in a statement released yesterday.

Here’s the full list of new National Landmarks.

Visit Mississippi: Flickr/Creative Commons

Medgar and Myrlie Evers House (Jackson, Mississippi)

The site of the assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, which was a catalyst for the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, this home represents the Evers’s significant roles in the struggle for equality and the impact of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Wyandotte National Burying Ground (Kansas City, Kansas)

It was this property that led Eliza (Lyda) Burton Conley, the first attorney to raise the legal argument that American Indian burying grounds are entitled to protection by the Federal Government, to court. She claimed that the descendants of treaty signatories have the right to sue to enforce treaty provisions.

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (New York City, New York)

Arthur (Arturo) Alfonso Schomburg (1874-1938), an Afro-Latino immigrant, founded this revolutionary center for studying the African Diaspora, and the culture and history of people of African descent using a global, transnational perspective.

Jeff Turner: Flickr/Creative Commons

Eldean Bridge (Miami County, Ohio)

One of just a dozen 19th century Long truss bridges still standing, this structure, built in 1860, is a rare and significant surviving example of 19th century infrastructure and construction.

Neutra Studio and Residences (Los Angeles, California)

A key building in the creation of the California Modern architecture style, architect Richard Neutra’s home and studio showcases his evolving designs and key contribution to the modernist movement.

Greenhills Historic District (Greenhills, Ohio)

One of three New Deal greenbelt towns built by the government in response to the Great Depression, this historic suburb represents a significant chapter in the evolution of the American suburb and the Garden City movement.

Peyri Herrera: Flickr/Creative Commons

Chicano Park (San Diego, California)

On April 20, 1970, this recreation space became the site of a successful protest against a city plan to build a California Highway Patrol substation on land where the government promised to build a community park. It’s since become an important historic site for the Chicano Civil Rights Movement and contains the Chicano Park Monumental Murals.

Walrus Islands Archeological District (Togiak, Alaska)

A one-time settlement, this historic site is one of just a handful of places with evidence of human habitation during a time when the Bering Sea was substantially lower, allowing migration from Asia to North America.

Keim Homestead (Oley, Pennsylvania)

This early example of German-American domestic architecture, dating back to 1753, showcases methods of construction and design that followed early settlers across the country.

Mike Procario: Flickr/Creative Commons

Schifferstadt (Frederick, Maryland)

Inspired by German-American cultural and construction traditions, this 1758 home, which boasts a Georgian exterior, exemplifies how German settlers chose to retain their cultural traditions after moving to the American colonies.

New York State Barge Canal (Waterford, New York)

An enlargement of the Erie Canal and state canal system, the Progressive-era public works project helped transform the region’s economy.

Rachel Leibowitz

Casa José Antonio Navarro (San Antonio, Texas)

This historic residence was the home of Tejano statesman and historian José Antonio Navarro (1795-1871), a defender of Mexican-American rights throughout the early history of Texas.

Kimball Village Site (Plymouth County, Iowa)

This Native American historic site embodies the indigenous farmers, settlements, and material culture that typify early Plains Village sites.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission Chapel (San Jose, California)

This religious site connected the Mexican American civil rights movement, Catholic ministry to ethnic Mexicans, and ongoing efforts to organize ethnic Mexican migrant farmworkers. The chapel was the home for the Community Service Organization (CSO) whose work helped to spur the emergence of César Chávez as a community organizer, civil rights leader, and labor rights leader.

Petrified Forest: Flickr Creative Commons

Painted Desert Community Complex (Apache County, Arizona)

Designed by renowned architects Richard J. Neutra and Robert E. Alexander in the International Style, and headquarters for the Petrified Forest National Park, this complex represents the Mission 66 program, which brought modern architecture to our national parks.

W. A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop (Rices Landing, Pennsylvania)

The family-owned foundry and machine shop represents an important component of the industrial economy of the 19th century, and contains one of the biggest collections of machine tools in the nation.

Davis-Ferris Organ (Round Lake, New York)

Originally built for the New York City Episcopal church in 1846, this preserved instrument is a testament to American music-making.

Barbara Lau

Pauli Murray Family Home (Durham, North Carolina)

Lawyer, educator, writer, and Episcopal priest Pauli Murray was a ground-breaking civil rights activist. Her efforts were critical to retaining “sex” in Title VII, a fundamental legal protection for women against employment discrimination, and her vision for a civil rights association for women became the National Organization for Women (NOW).

West Union Bridge (Parke County, Indiana)

Constructed in 1876 by J. J. Daniels, one of the nation’s most prolific covered bridge builders, this structure exemplifies the Burr truss, a timber bridge type widely used across the country.

Biesterfeldt Site (Ransom County, North Dakota)

An early earth lodge village occupied by the Cheyenne Indians represents the only known example of this particular tribe settling into a horticultural way of life, and has been an important site in understanding Plains Indian history and culture.

Chris Murphy: Flickr/Creative Commons

Omaha Union Station (Omaha, Nebraska)

Built in the late ‘20s, this streamlined Art Deco station was a leap forward for railroad design, and a innovative example of ultra-modern, machine age architecture.

George Read II House (New Castle, Delaware)

Home to a prominent Philadelphia family, this historic home is a rare example of Federal style architecture, which was once prominent throughout the city.

48GO305 (Goshen County, Wyoming)

Called the “Hell Gap Paleoindian Site,” this area contains one of the richest deposits of Plains Indian history in North America, including records of civilizations dating back 13,000 years.

May 4, 1970, Kent State Shootings Site (Kent, Ohio)

Hallowed ground for the antiwar movement, this is where the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four Kent State University students and wounded nine during a Vietnam War protest on the campus.