Brief: Tangier American Legation Named to Most Endangered Places List

In 1821, the Tangier American Legation in Morocco was gifted to the United States by the Moroccan
Sultan as a token of friendship, becoming the first American public property located abroad, and
subsequently served as a U.S. diplomatic mission for a record 140 years.
Though the Legation is owned by the U.S. government under the oversight of the Department of State, it must compete with active diplomatic posts for maintenance funding. The recent collapse of an adjacent building caused serious structural issues, necessitating closure of the library to the public and relocation of valuable books and artifacts.
On May 1st, 2024, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named an iconic overseas diplomatic compound to its annual list of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” The Tangier American Legation is the United States’ only National Historic Landmark located abroad, and the first overseas U.S. government property to be designated as endangered by the National Trust. Because of its unique role in U.S. history, the designation of the Tangier American Legation was announced at the National Museum of American Diplomacy at the U.S. State Department in Washington, DC.
From Washington, Deputy Secretary of State Richard R. Verma, Carol Quillen, President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Youssef Amrani, Kingdom of Morocco Ambassador to the United States provided remarks in support of the Legation's preservation. Video statements were provided by Puneet Talwar, the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco and Ambassador William H. Moser, Director of the State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations.