PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) -- Tombstone, the famous Old West town in southern Arizona, could lose its status as a National Historic Landmark after decades of violating historic preservation building codes.
The Department of the Interior has put the so-called "town too tough to die" on its threatened list, the highest warning level.
A popular tourist destination, Tombstone's historic integrity has declined into a blend of authentic history and fake Old West ambiance, federal and state officials said.
Newer buildings bear false dates from the 1870s to 1880s. Storefronts are painted colors like chartreuse -- not found in Tombstone 125 years ago. Some buildings are made to look older with faux exposed brick or Spanish tiles.
"The buildings have been altered in such a way that it's creating a very inauthentic appearance to the visiting public," said Greg Kendrick, National Park Service manager for the landmark program. Landmark designation could be revoked "if they continue in the direction they're in," he added.
"Tombstone is becoming a Disneyland," complained Sally Alves, owner of Curly Bill's Bed & Breakfast in Tombstone. "The business owners in town want ... everything to be bright and colorful, like Rawhide or someplace that is not a real, authentic Old West city."
Tombstone, population 1,750, gets an estimated 450,000 visitors a year.
Founded in 1879, Tombstone was once bigger than San Francisco. Its mines produced $37 million in silver. After the mines started to close in the late 1880s, its population and fortunes began to slide.
The town's historic district became a national landmark in 1962.
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