11 Most Endangered
Harry S. Truman Historic District
Year Listed: 1996
Location: Missouri
Current Status: Endangered
Threat: Deterioration, Neglect, Poor Public Policy
The Independence, MO neighborhood where Harry S. Truman spent his boyhood, began his political career, settled with his family and retired after the White House -- the neighborhood that tells the story of America's 33rd President -- has dramatically changed. Despite designation as a National Historic Landmark, the Harry S. Truman Historic District was rapidly losing its historic character, in part because of inadequate protection of its historic resources. Within sight of the Truman house, several historic buildings were replaced by parking lots and nondescript new construction.
Update
In October 1997, with extensive assistance from the National Trust, the City of Independence adopted a new comprehensive preservation plan and strengthened preservation ordinance that will afford heightened protection for historic resources. The result: a revived and strengthened Truman Historic District plus $5.7 million in preservation projects that save buildings and return vitality to neighborhoods through public and private efforts, as well as a new citizens' group -- Preservation Renaissance -- committed to protecting the neighborhood.
However, more recently, institutional property owners in the area have been moving out of historic buildings and redirecting financial resources away from the district. In spite of strong city support, the cumulative effect of these incremental changes places at risk the neighborhood that is synonymous with the legacy of President Harry S. Truman. For this reason, Missouri Preservation included the Harry S. Truman National Historic Landmark District on their 2008 Most Endangered Historic Places list, announced in May 2008. For more information, see Missouri Preservation's website at www.preservemo.org.
