Segundo Barrio, Chihuahuita make list of most endangered historic places in U.S.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has admitted the Segundo Barrio and Chihuahuita neighborhoods to its annual list of the “11 Most Endangered Historic Places” in the United States.

“The new designation will draw national attention to the unique history and culture of Segundo Barrio and Chihuahuita while calling attention to their plight,” Max Grossman, the
Vice-Chair of the El Paso County Historical Commission, said in an email sent to ABC-7.

Grossman said both neighborhoods have been “decimated by demolition and development during the last several decades.” There is currently only a single National Register monument in the Segundo Barrio, the Silver Dollar Cafe, Grossman said.

READ the National Trust’s article on Segundo Barrio and Chihuahuita

“Located south of Downtown El Paso, the neighborhoods of El Segundo Barrio and Chihuahuita reflect the entire span of the city’s history, from the Spanish conquest through the modern era,” The National Trust for Historic Preservation said, “They are home to an array of impressive historic buildings-such as adobe houses traceable to the 1850s and Victorian-era hotels and shops-and mark the start of El Paso’s urbanization.”

Grossman said the designation “has the potential to draw the attention of national non-profits and business groups that invest” in historic areas.