A new Grand Canyon didn’t open up in the middle of the country, but the U.S. officially has a new national park unit. Today, the National Park Service (NPS) announced the formal establishment of the Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas as a National Historic Site and therefore the U.S.’s latest “park.”
The Blackwell School may not be Yellowstone, but this newly designated historic site is important and worth protecting.
“For 56 years, the Blackwell School educated the Mexican and Mexican American children of Marfa, Texas,” NPS says on its website. “Segregated by prejudice rather than law, this school was a symbol of resilience as the town’s Hispanic residents struggled to maintain their culture amid racist treatment and unequal educational opportunities.”
Though once part of a larger complex, the site currently includes two buildings—an original 1909 schoolhouse and the 1927 Band Hall. NPS says both buildings retain their integrity and “demonstrate the original adobe structure and clay tile construction representative of local construction methods and the time.”
Inside the buildings, there are “photographs, memorabilia, and interpretive panels” featuring quotes and stories from students and teachers. Visitors to the Blackwell School can immerse themselves in the history of the early 20th century in this region.
“This site serves as a reminder of the lasting impact of this prejudice on the American people of this town and similar towns across the country,” NPS says.
“National Park” vs. “National Historic Site”
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) says “the addition of Blackwell to the National Parks System brings the official tally of national park sites in the United States to a historic 430.”
Though the NPS repeatedly calls the Blackwell School National Historic Site a “park,” suggesting it’s joining St. Louis’s Gateway Arch National Park as a sort of monument-centric national park, it’s actually a National Historic Site. Here’s an explainer on the different NPS units.