A comment period for this project closes Jul 12, 2024:
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Blackwell School Foundation Document

Blackwell School National Historic Site » Blackwell School Foundation Document » Document List

On October 17, 2022, President Joseph Biden signed the Blackwell School National Historic Site Act authorizing the establishment of the Blackwell School National Historic Site in Marfa, Texas, and directing the Secretary of the Interior to acquire the property and establish a new unit of the national park system. The legislation directed the National Park Service (NPS) to preserve, protect, and interpret the Blackwell School including its role as an academic and cultural cornerstone in Marfa, Texas, and its function within a segregated system of education in Texas and the United States from a period of 1885 through 1965.

The NPS is welcoming the new park by beginning the process of preparing a foundation document to guide future planning and management of Blackwell School National Historic Site. We welcome your input on this planning process. All persons with an interest in, or connection to Blackwell School are invited to participate in this effort.

A foundation document identifies a national park unit's core purpose and significance, its most important resources and values, and the interpretive themes that tell its unique American story. The preparation of a foundation document is the first step in planning for any new park. The document's intention is not to provide specific management actions or development planning. Rather, the foundation document will guide future decision making by ensuring all efforts stem from a unified understanding of what is most important about the park.

As the foundation document process begins, we encourage public input about the new park, including what is most important about the Blackwell School, potential issues that could threaten park resources, and opportunities for preservation, commemoration, or interpretation. Please consider providing your thoughts and ideas on the new park by July 12, 2024, so they can inform the foundation document's development.

Please review the informational newsletter available under the "open for comment" tab to the left. The opportunity to provide written comments accompanies the newsletter. You may also wish to join the park's mailing list, which is available under the "links" tab to the left.

Thank you for your interest in Blackwell School National Historic Site.

Contact Information

charles_lawson@nps.gov