Irreplaceable America

WMF invites nominations for U.S. heritage sites that speak to the depth and significance of the country’s story, reflecting the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the land and the communities that inhabit it over time. Nominations to Irreplaceable America are free to submit and are open to all.

While the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence’s adoption offers a moment to reflect on the nation’s founding, WMF solicits site applications from any time period, whether for sites whose histories stretch back millennia or for the modern landmarks that shape contemporary life.

Eligible places may include historic buildings, neighborhoods, sacred sites, civic landmarks, industrial and engineering sites, cultural landscapes, parks, or other spaces of shared memory and meaning. Sites may be monumental or modest, urban or rural. They may be publicly or privately held but should offer public access. What matters most is their significance to their local community and their power to illuminate an essential chapter of the American experience.

WMF is especially interested in sites where preservation can respond to urgent challenges or catalyze new opportunities for communities: addressing environmental threats, promoting equity and participation, strengthening local economies, or sustaining living traditions. 

Once a nomination is submitted, it goes through three stages of evaluation:

1. Assessment by WMF staff – Submissions are reviewed by WMF staff with expertise in heritage and related fields.
2. Desk review by practitioners – Nominations are paired with professionals and preservation leaders in the field for further specialist analysis.
3. Final selection by independent panel – A panel of experts in American heritage and related disciplines determines the final ten sites.  

Nominations are evaluated against four criteria. These criteria align with those of the global World Monuments Watch while reflecting the distinctive aims of the Irreplaceable America initiative to highlight the heritage of the United States, its territories, and its ancestral lands.

• Cultural significance – How deeply does the place embody, reflect, or relate to the history and identity of a community, region, or the nation as a whole? Can its preservation foster greater understanding of the breadth of histories that have shaped America?
• Relevance to urgent issues – Does the nomination address imminent threats or time-sensitive opportunities? Does it engage with contemporary challenges facing communities in the U.S., such as environmental risks, disinvestment, or the need to broaden historical representation?
• Potential for community benefit – How can preserving the site strengthen local life and civic pride? Is there potential to enhance social, cultural, economic, or environmental well-being through preservation?
• Feasibility of impact – Can WMF effectively support the nomination with its resources and expertise? Are there factors that would enable or constrain meaningful action at the site?