One of Canton's oldest buildings has been placed on a statewide short list of sites in danger of becoming extinct.

The Canton Grammar School is one of 10 sites chosen for the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation's 2010 Places in Peril list released on Wednesday.

The list, according to the group, is designed to raise awareness about the state's archaeological, historic and cultural resources that are threatened by lack of maintenance, neglect, demolition or inappropriate development. The resources can include buildings, structures, archaeological sites, cultural landscapes, districts and historic sites.

Along with the school, the other sites on the 2010 list are Central State Hospital in Milledgeville; Paradise Gardens in Summerville; Morris Brown College in Atlanta; Leake archaeological site in Cartersville; Dorchester Academy in Midway; Old Dodge County Jail in Eastman; Ritz Theatre in Thomaston; Herndon Plaza in Atlanta; and the Capricorn Recording Studio in Macon.

Mark McDonald, president and CEO of the trust, said the sites were chosen because of the threat level they face and how much local support there is to save the sites.

"We don't want to take on lost causes," he said.

The Canton Grammar School, he said, fits those two major criteria.

Also, McDonald said the school represents a fate that's "all too common" in Georgia: local school boards abandoning old facilities in good structural condition in favor of building something new.

"It doesn't make sense to tear it down," he said, adding the building has historic significance to Canton.

The Cherokee County School District, which owns the school (also known as Building B) in downtown Canton and in recent years used it for offices, closed the building in March, citing lack of compliance with federal disability laws. The building does not include an elevator. The staff who worked in the building have been moved to other district office space.

The school's adjacent gymnasium already has been razed by the district, and the cleared space is used for parking.

While district officials say there are no plans to demolish the school, county superintendent of schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo in a letter to the Cherokee County Historical Society made a strong argument against renovating it due to high costs.

Placement on the list, McDonald said, allows the Georgia Trust to seek ways to save the selected historic sites. These solutions include applying for grants to fund renovations or finding people to perform studies to determine whether the building or site could be used for another purpose.

"Placement on the list is not a hall of shame or an attempt to embarrass anyone," he added. "It's an attempt to find a solution."

School district officials said Wednesday that they had no comment regarding the school's placement on the list, other than they stand by their previous argument against renovation.

Cherokee County Historical Society Executive Director Stefanie Joyner said the school's selection for the list is significant.

"I think it reinforces how important the building is to Cherokee County and to the state of Georgia," she said.

Ms. Joyner added the school's placement would show the county school board how important the building is and possibly influence them to "not tear it down."

She added she and the historical society board still want to meet with school district officials and have an open dialogue about the building's fate.

"I just want to start some communication about plans for the building," she said.