Interest in landmarking this building began in 1996, soon after the building turned thirty years old and became eligible for landmark designation.

The landmark designation made the property eligible for state funding and a restoration was also completed in 2005.

The building was saved from destruction and given an historical landmark designation by the city.

Over the 20th century, the archeological value of the sites was largely destroyed due to locals digging up the buried ivory and the landmark designation was withdrawn in 1989.

State and local municipalities often have additional landmark designations to cover sites of more purely local interest.