In 2004, the National Park Service listed Tombstone Historical District on its list of "threatened" landmarks, meaning that its significance as a historic location, the fruit of Tombstone's tourism economy, was in imminent danger. By 2006, the Park Service was able to reevaluate the situation and remove the threatened status.

Changes included saving the historic fire station from collapse, era-appropriate landscaping and street resurfacing. Despite this, Tombstone is still at risk of losing many of its prominent landmarks.

The Tombstone Restoration Commission (TRC) is one of the biggest investors aiming to preserve the authenticity of Tombstone Historical District – described by the National Park Service as epitomizing "The legendary reputation of the 'Wild West' and lawlessness of the nineteenth-century mining camps."

So far, TRC's contributions have included restorations of the Old Fire Station No. 1 and the train depot (which is now a library), the 1950s restoration of the Tombstone Courthouse and, more recently, a joint project with the Masons to put a new roof on Schieffelin Hall. All told, the commission has invested about $450,000 in preservation over the years, according to TRC member Joy Robeson.

Currently, TRC is working on a project to identify historic locations with the installation of signs used to designate the spots. According to Robeson, they have identified 43 locations, of which 36 are marked.

"We're just trying to give tourists a feel for Tombstone in 1880," she said. "That's what people come to Tombstone for."

Many of Tombstone's historic destinations, such as the Tombstone Courthouse and the Old City Hall, are among those in danger.

Robeson said some buildings would require significant funding to restore, which would be the case if the city of Tombstone wished to turn Old City Hall into a museum.

"It's old, it needs a lot of work, it's going to be quite expensive to completely restore it," Robeson said. "But that would be a wonderful thing."

Conversely, other buildings don't even have the money to stay open, let alone to be renovated. Tombstone's iconic courthouse has been deemed too expensive to keep open, according to the Arizona State Parks Board, which has led to a contentious, yet imminent closure date set for late March.

According to the State Parks Board, the Courthouse cost Arizona more than $50,000 in 2009; despite attempts from city officials and those in the community, the Courthouse, which has been run by the state since TRC's restoration of the building in the 1950s, is slated to close on March 29.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, a National Historic Place that might be the oldest Protestant church in Arizona that is still active, is also in danger. The church, where worshippers have met weekly since 1882, is attempting to raise funds to restore its original stained glass windows, which have come to represent the church's authenticity and grandeur.

The restoration process started in July 2008 because the windows were falling apart, said Senior Warden Wil Wiemer. With two windows requiring repair, the church is still in need of $6,000.