TIME Magazine TIME 100 Must-See US Landmarks

There are currently over 2,600 designated National Historic Landmarks (NHL) in the United States. The list includes landmark districts, buildings, sites, structures, and even objects that contributed to the history, architecture, archeology, technology, and culture of the nation. Some are iconic American places, like the Alamo and Washington’s Headquarters at Valley Forge, but others are lesser known but no less influential, such as Sequoyah’s Cabin in Oklahoma, where Sequoyah developed a written language for the Cherokee, and Rowan Oak in Mississippi, the home of celebrated Southern author William Faulkner. HOW NHLS ARE SELECTED The process can take between two and five years. The first step is submitting a written letter of inquiry to the National Park Service, where NHL staff vets the property. To be considered, the property must…

Historic Fort Knox, which was established in 1844, is one of the best-preserved military forts on the New England seacoast. When America was still young, Maine was repeatedly involved in northeastern border disputes with British Canada. The area between Castine and the wealthy lumber city of Bangor was invaded by the British during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Between 1838-1839, British Canada and Maine were again in dispute over the border, and U.S. officials decided they needed a great fortification to protect Maine’s valuable lumber lands. So construction on Fort Knox began in 1844 on the mouth of the Penobscot River. The structure is unique as it was built entirely of granite; most forts were constructed of wood, earth, and stone. It was pricey to build:…

Winslow Homer Studio was the home and workplace of American artist and illustrator Winslow Homer from 1884 until his death in 1910. Homer is considered one of the foremost American painters of the 19th century. He was born in Boston in 1836 and spent his early years in Cambridge. Homer’s mother was a talented watercolorist, and she taught him to paint at an early age. Homer’s first job was as an apprentice illustrator in Boston, where he designed commercial art for two years. He then opened his first studio in Boston and worked as an illustrator for the next two decades. In 1859, he opened a studio in New York City and attended the National Academy of Design, where he learned how to paint in oils. For work, he…

Mount Washington Hotel was the largest hotel in the White Mountains when it opened in 1902, and it is one of the last surviving “grand” hotels in the area. It was the location of a historic meeting that had an impact on the way the world does business. The hotel was built in the Spanish-Renaissance style by Joseph Stickney, a wealthy coal broker and New Hampshire native. Stickney spared no expense—the latest design and construction methods were used, including intricate heating and plumbing systems. Stickney employed over 250 Italian artisans to help build it. It was a luxurious place that catered to wealthy guests from Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, and countless celebrities and three U.S. presidents stayed there. Stickney died just a year after the hotel was dedicated,…

Shelburne Farms is a 1,400-acre working farm and nonprofit education center on the shores of Lake Champlain. The property is considered a well-preserved example of a Gilded Age ornamental farm. Shortly after Europeans arrived in Vermont in the 17th century, they started clearing land for their own farms. The town of Shelburne was charted in 1763, and it is recorded that by 1780, farmers raised over 17,000 sheep in the area in addition to growing fruit and grain. In 1886, William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb (heiress to the Vanderbilt fortune), began buying up these farms and eventually amassed a 3,800-acre estate to raise crops and horses. They hired Frederick Law Olmstead, the landscape architect for New York’s Central Park, to design the grounds. New York architect Robert Henderson…

Rockingham meeting house is a rare, well-preserved second period Colonial-style meetinghouse. It was constructed between 1787 and 1801 as a place for both civic and religious gatherings. The building, graveyard, hearse house, town tomb, and fence are all part of the National Historic Landmark designation. The second-period meetinghouse is one of the oldest church buildings in Vermont. Its stern, barnlike appearance evokes medieval and Puritan design, but it also has some more ornate Georgian influences. The Rockingham Meeting House is the most intact 18th-century public building in Vermont, and it’s a distinctive survivor of the Colonial era when public funds were used to build meeting places that served both government and secular purposes. The building still appears very much as it did when it was constructed. An elevated pulpit…