Watts Towers named to first Irreplaceable America list

The Watts Towers has been named to the World Monuments Fund’s inaugural Irreplaceable America list, recognizing 10 U.S. historic sites considered essential to preserving the nation’s cultural heritage, officials announced Wednesday.

The list was created as the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and highlights historic places facing significant preservation challenges.

The Watts Towers, created over more than three decades by Italian immigrant Sabato “Simon” Rodia, consist of 17 hand-built reinforced-concrete structures decorated with tile, glass and found objects. The tallest tower rises nearly 100 feet.

“The Watts Towers are a monumental achievement by one individual, Simon Rodia, yet are of cultural significance and meaning to all of the local community, and its visitors,” Daniel Tarica, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, said in a statement. “The conservation and preservation of the Watts Towers … reinforces a message to the community of investment, value, and stewardship, while also supporting increased cultural tourism and generating economic opportunities that benefit both the immediate Watts community and the wider region.”

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The landmark also is home to the Watts Towers Arts Center, the Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center and the Garden Studio, which provide arts education, youth programs and community events, including the annual Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival and Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival.

According to the World Monuments Fund, the site faces ongoing threats from earthquakes, weather exposure, material deterioration and limited funding needed to carry out long-term preservation plans.

The towers were selected alongside nine other sites across the country representing a broad range of American history and preservation needs:

— New York Smallpox Hospital Ruin in New York

— Bartram’s Garden in Philadelphia

— Black Mountain College Studies Building in North Carolina

— African Meeting House in Boston

— The City of New Orleans

— The Colonial Homes of Newport in Rhode Island

— Dallas City Hall

— The Mission Churches of Acoma and Laguna Pueblos in New Mexico

— The Wright Brothers Sites in Dayton, Ohio

The World Monuments Fund said it also plans to launch a conservation project at the Watts Towers Arts Center Campus with support from the GRoW @ Annenberg Foundation.