Antony J. Blinken 71st U.S. Secretary of State | Official Website
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has added an iconic overseas diplomatic compound to its annual list of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.” The Tangier American Legation, the United States’ only National Historic Landmark located abroad, has been designated as endangered by the National Trust.
In 1821, the Moroccan Sultan gifted the Tangier American Legation to the United States as a token of friendship. This marked it as one of the U.S.’s oldest diplomatic missions and the first American public property owned abroad. For a record 140 years, this complex served as a U.S. embassy, consulate, and official residence of U.S. ambassadors to the Kingdom of Morocco. It also played a significant role in U.S. military and intelligence history during World War II, specifically Operation Torch, under General Dwight D. Eisenhower's command.
In 1956, with the opening of a new embassy in Rabat, the Legation transitioned into serving as a consulate before becoming home to Peace Corps volunteers and a language school. In 1976, the Department of State entered into a lease agreement with the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM), which now operates the building as a cultural center, museum, and research library visited by tens of thousands annually.
Despite still being owned by the United States, it is no longer used for diplomatic purposes and must compete with active diplomatic posts for maintenance funding. This historic icon of U.S. public diplomacy and cornerstone of U.S.-Moroccan bilateral relationship is in dire need of restoration.
The designation was announced at the National Museum of American Diplomacy (NMAD) at the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C., on May 1st, 2024. Deputy Secretary of State Richard R. Verma was joined by Carol Quillen, President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Youssef Amrani, Kingdom of Morocco Ambassador to the United States; and Andrea Tracey, Director of the Fund to Conserve. Video statements were provided by Puneet Talwar, U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, and Ambassador William H. Moser, Director of the State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations.
The recent collapse of an adjacent building and a history of seismic activity in the region have forced the closure of the Legation’s library and relocation of valuable artifacts and books. Given these challenges and its inclusion on the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list, the nonprofit Fund to Conserve United States Diplomatic Treasures Abroad has launched a new phase in its campaign to raise $10 million in private funds for restoration and preservation.
The Fund to Conserve United States Diplomatic Treasures Abroad was established in 2012 to raise awareness and build private sector support for U.S. State Department’s cultural heritage buildings and collections. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works tirelessly to save America's historic places.
For further information, please contact OBO’s Director of the Office of Cultural Heritage Tobin Tracey at TraceyT@state.gov or External Affairs Acting Director Meghan Sebold at OBOExternalAffairs@state.gov.
