SEATTLE -- The country's newest national treasure is right here in Seattle.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation on Thursday named the Panama Hotel in Seattle a national treasure.
The hotel is described as an amazing cultural resource, and a time capsule from World War II.
Japanese Americans, summoned for internment 73 years ago, could only take two suitcases with them. Many left their belongings in the basement of the Panama Hotel, which was built in 1909 or 1910.
Qihui Lin works at the hotel.
"I am just really glad. I'm blessed to be here, but it also kind of brings up sadness because of the history," said Lin.
"It takes your breath away to reflect on what it must've been like at that time for Japanese Americans to leave behind everything they had," said Stephanie Meeks, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
"It's incredible, I mean I don't think history can get any better than this," said Jan Johnson, who has owned the Panama Hotel for the last 30 years.
The Panama Hotel is now the 60th national treasure in the U.S.
