Embedded Files
I wanted to include a historical preservation/conservation status for each site to encourage community engagement and historical conservation. If a property is flagged as Endangered or Critically Endangered, the goal is to alert the community that a site needs intervention, or at the very least, needs to be fully photographed and documented before it is lost forever. I also hope it inspires roadies to go out of their way to patronize the threatened mom-and-pop stops that need our business right now.
To be clear, this index isn't meant to judge, it is strictly a friendly community barometer to help us keep a lookout on the health of the road and ring the bell when a piece of history is slipping away.
To keep things intuitive, I have co-opted the categories from the IUCN Red List (the wildlife endangerment scale), as the framework fits our roadside architecture perfectly.
A brief explanation of each catagory is as follows:
These properties are flurishing, fully operational, well-maintained, and may have active preservation protections and/or a stable business model keeping it safe.
These business is still open, but face an uncertain future due to potential issues such as an aging owner, deferred maintenance, or lack of formal protections.
These sites are still standing but now closed, neglected, or facing a sudden change in ownership. High risk of becoming endagered in the future.
These sites are in active decline, completely vacant, or deteriorating rapidly, meaning they will likely face demolition or structural failure if a preservation effort doesn't intervene soon.
These sites are facing imminent destruction, experiencing severe structural neglect, or are under an active contract for total demolition. Extremely high risk of total destruction.
The original Route 66 business is entirely gone and only preserved in museums, structural fragments, or a commemorative marker.
The original structure has been completely razed, paved over, or replaced by modern development, leaving nothing but a historical footprint on the map.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse