Lucy the Margate Elephant in New Jersey. The Watts Tower in

 Los Angeles. Burks’ Distillery near Loretto, Ky. Hearst Castle in San Simeon, Calif. Sunwatch Indian Village in Dayton, Ohio. Each have earned the designation “national 

historic landmark” (NHL) and each — along with 2,470 other NHLs — are

 vying to be the star in the National Park Service’s 12th 

annual NHL photo contest.




“Not all national historic landmarks are battlefields, high-style

 architecture, or associated with the Founding Fathers,” said National Park

 Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “But all are places with extraordinary

 significance to our American story. Through the photo contest we invite 

people to explore these amazing places and to share their favorites.”




The contest, 100 Days of NHLs, began April 22; all entries — one per 

landmark, up to 10 total — must be submitted by July 31. Winning entries

 will be featured in the National Historic Landmark 2012 Event Planner.
See 

additional contest rules at http://www.nps.gov/history/nhl/2011photocontest/.




To find a NHL near you, search the database at 

http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/default.cfm or look at a list at 

http://www.nps.gov/history/nhl/designations/listsofNHLs.htm.




National historic landmarks are designated by the Secretary of the Interior

 because they possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or

 interpreting the heritage of the United States. The National Park Service

 manages the program, working with citizens throughout the nation interested

 in nominating new landmarks and providing assistance to existing landmarks.




