United States Department of the Interior

National Park Service

Nicodemus National Historic Site

Kansas

Nicodemus National Historic Site

General Management Plan

a

III
m*

**

•+

Cover Photos Identification

3 a 8

Nicodemus District No. 1 School

St. Francis Hotel African Methodist Episcopal

Church

Township Hall / NPS Visitor

Contact Facility

! Aerial Photograph of Nicodemus, Kansas

Old First Baptist Church
CONTENTS

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE NICODEMUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE 1

History of Nicodemus 2

Primary Resources 5

PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PLAN 11

Purpose of the Plan 11

Need for the Plan 11

National Historic Site Purpose, Significance, and Interpretive Themes 12

Laws, Policies, and Mandates 13

Recommended Studies Needed 14

INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAN 16

Management Areas 16

Guiding Principles 19

THE PLAN: JOINT STEWARDSHIP 21

Overall Concept 21

Management Areas 21

Orientation and Interpretation 21

Resource Preservation and Management 22

Facilities and Development 25

Boundary Adjustment 25

Staffing and Operations 25

MITIGATION 26

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT 27

APPENDIX: ENABLING LEGISLATION 28

GLOSSARY 31

REFERENCES 33

PREPARERS AND CONSULTANTS 34
CONTENTS

Vicinity 3

The Plan 23

Maps

Figures

Figure 1: Aerial View of Nicodemus, Kansas, 1999. iv

Figure 2: The Old First Baptist Church as it appears today. 7

Figure 3: The St. Francis Hotel / Fletcher-Switzer residence has served many functions

over the years. 7

Figure 4: Main entrance, Nicodemus District No. 1 School. 9

Figure 5: The African Methodist Episcopal Church. 9

Figure 6: The historic Township Hall is the temporary home of the NFS visitor contact

facility. 10

Figure 7. Part of an Emancipation/ Homecoming parade. 13

Figure 8. Few structures obstruct the Kansas countryside. 17

Figure 9. The Nicodemus Township Hall and NPS visitor contact facility. 22

11
Figure 1: Aerial View of Nicodemus, Kansas, 1999.

*-

IV
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE NICODEMUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

The unincorporated town of Nicodemus

is in Graham County in the high plains of

northwestern Kansas. Nicodemus, which

is 304 miles west of Kansas City, Kansas,

and 306 miles east of Denver, Colorado,

sits on the south side of U.S. Highway 24.

It is 39 miles north of Interstate 70. The

nearest commercial air service is at Hays,

Kansas, which is 60 miles southeast of

Nicodemus (see Vicinity map).

Nicodemus lies open to the surrounding

countryside, with little vegetation to

obstruct vistas of the plains. As was typical

of towns platted in the post Civil War

period, Nicodemus assumed the grid

pattern imposed by the General Land

Office survey. Streets, roads, property

lines, and fences were oriented along the

compass directions, with only minor

concessions to topography and

watercourses.

Nicodemus is the only remaining western

town established by African Americans

during the Reconstruction period and

represents the western expansion and

settlement of the Great Plains.

Typical of western settlements of its time,

most of those who came to Nicodemus in

those first migrations (1877-1880) came to

farm. The town of Nicodemus provided

services to the outlying community as a

center for worship, school, government,

and commerce. The "core" of the historic

community soon included the (Old) First

Baptist and African Methodist Episcopal

(A.M.E) Churches; Nicodemus District

No 1 School; Township Hall; and the St.

Francis Hotel/Fletcher-Switzer residence

(which also served as the site of the town's

first Post Office and livery stable). Today,

there are about 40 additional buildings

within the town, including public facilities

such as the fire station, the municipal

garage, the Nicodemus Historical Society

building, and a residential complex

developed by the U.S. Department of

Housing and Urban Development for

low-income residents of Nicodemus.

Most of the remaining structures are oneor 1/4-story frame residences, simple in

style, and with very little architectural

detailing. Several of the residential

structures are vacant. Farmsteads,

cemeteries, and ruins are scattered

throughout the township.

Historically, the Nicodemus community

included members of the outlying agricultural area and those in town where

they shared churches, a school, government, and commercial services. Today

many people living within the outlying

township and in other parts of Graham

County, such as Hill City and Bogue, have

family in Nicodemus. Kinship ties extend

beyond the region to all areas of the

nation, pulling family members back to

Nicodemus for the Emancipation/

Homecoming celebrations, funerals, and

other occasions. This association with the

place continues as one of the strongest

characteristics of the Nicodemus

community.

The people of Nicodemus have observed

the Emancipation/ Homecoming annually

from 1878 to the present. Originally called

the Emancipation Celebration, the observance celebrated the emancipation of

slaves by the British in the West Indies in

1834. Over the intervening years the event
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF NICODEMUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

has evolved into a mass family reunion

and is now more commonly referred to as

Homecoming. Several hundred

descendants return to Nicodemus on the

last weekend of July each year to

participate in this gathering. For the farflung descendants, it has become an

essential part of life, a way of renewing

family ties and maintaining a physical

connection with a proud heritage.

Programmed activities include a parade,

dances, carnival rides, spiritual songs, a

fashion show, and much more.

HISTORY OF NICODEMUS

In the years following the Emancipation

Proclamation, African Americans

throughout the South struggled to

establish social, political, and economic

equality. As years passed, however, they

repeatedly rediscovered the sad truth that

for most of them, the promised equality

was elusive, if not impossible, in the

South. When newly inaugurated President

Rutherford B. Hayes fulfilled an election

promise (1877) by withdrawing federal

troops from the South, the Reconstruction era officially ended, and with it the

hopes of many African Americans for

equality in the South within their lifetimes.

Believing they could only find economic,

social, and political equality within a

community of their peers, many traveled

to the West in search of the American

dream.

Among the first of the communities that

these equality seekers established in the

west was Nicodemus, Kansas. The first

groups arrived in 1877; initially a small

party arrived in July, followed two months

later by a group of some 350 weary

African American emigrants recruited

from Lexington, Kentucky. In stark

contrast to the wooded hills of their native

Kentucky, the emigrants found that the

"promised land" was desolate and

forbidding, with only a scattering of trees

along the Solomon River. Disheartened,

about 60 families immediately returned

eastward in search of more familiar

surroundings and better economic

prospects. Yet most remained, and despite

hardships, helped to establish Nicodemus,

Kansas, one of the oldest and most

famous African American communities in

the Midwest. Ultimately, African

American groups, primarily from

Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi,

formed the Nicodemus community.

According to the U.S. Census, there were

260 African American settlers living in

Nicodemus Township by 1880.

The freedmen had a clear set of priorities

as they sought their future in the years

following emancipation. The first was the

reestablishment of home and family.

Many newly freed African Americans

searched the country to locate loved ones

separated by sale/ slavery or war. During

the decades that followed, the establishment of strong family ties brought with it

an attachment or association to the place

where the family was centered.

The next priority for most 19th century

African Americans during the postemancipation period was participation in

organized religious activities. Before

emancipation, many slaveholders

encouraged enslaved people to participate

in religious services either in the rear of

white churches or in separate services

held in the slave quarters. These services,

however, were generally designed to teach

the slave that slavery was a proper and

natural institution and that he or she was
Nicodemus

National Historic Site

NORTH

VICINITY MAP

NICODEMUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE / KANSAS

United States Department of the Interior

National Park Service

DSC / MAY, 03 / 030 / 20,001
Primary Resources

to accept slavery and the dictums of the

master. Finding such teachings unacceptable, African American ministers began to

form congregations even before emancipation. In addition to ministering to the

African Americans' spiritual needs, these

nascent congregations became centers of

African American social and political life;

in fact, it was by way of the religious communities that many freedmen learned of

the new African American communities

being established in the West. Two

religious congregations formed early in

the Nicodemus community: the (Old)

First Baptist Church formed shortly after

the initial settlement, and the African

Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church

was organized in 1879.

After religion, education was another high

priority for most African Americans. Some

African Americans sought education as

the means to create a better life for themselves and their children. Others saw

education as a way to achieve the political

equality promised by federal civil rights

laws beginning with the Emancipation

Proclamation, but enforced in the South

only when backed by the presence of

military forces. Still others simply wanted

to read the Bible once before they died. As

early as 1879, Mr. and Mrs. Zachary

Fletcher provided schooling at their sod

hotel in Nicodemus. The first dedicated

schoolhouse was erected on Fourth Street

in 1887. When that school burned, the

current structure — Nicodemus District

No. 1 School — was built in its place in

1918.

The need to earn a living and become selfsufficient was inextricably tied to the

other African American values. Although

studies of Reconstruction clearly detail

the willingness of freedmen to work hard,

Southern freedmen were barely able to

make ends meet, let alone save money.

The plantation owners continued to dominate the Southern economic system, and

ensured a new order in which freedmen

were still dependent upon the landowning

whites. In addition to codified economic

inequities, African Americans were subject to terrorizing (or "bulldozing")

inflicted by the Ku Klux Klan. When the

developers of western towns encouraged

freedmen to go to Kansas to establish

their farms and businesses, many heard

the call. Among the first were Reverend

John Samuels, who made and repaired

shoes for the residents of Nicodemus.

Z.T. Fletcher opened a general store in the

fall of 1877. By 1879, the town had a store,

two livery stables, a real estate office, a

drug store, and a hotel.

An undeniable attraction of Nicodemus

was the opportunity to participate in local

government. Discriminatory voting

requirements and outright violence kept

many free men and freedmen from the

polls in the South. In contrast, Nicodemus

residents were heavily involved in politics

from the very beginning, and held township and county posts. In 1879, the township elected African Americans to be

Justice of the Peace, Township Clerk, and

Roads Overseer. County elections in 1880

installed African American men as court

clerk, county attorney, and county

commissioners.

PRIMARY RESOURCES

Nicodemus is an unincorporated town of

about 20 residents. The entire platted

town site is recognized as a national

historic landmark (a national historic

district). The town contains modest
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF NICODEMUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

residences and limited commercial

services and is surrounded by an open

farming landscape. The exposed location

of the town is probably the most compelling and consistent characteristic.

The Nicodemus National Historic Site,

established in 1996 (see appendix) and

administered by the National Park Service

(NFS), includes five historic structures

(the Old First Baptist Church, the African

Methodist Episcopal Church, Nicodemus

District No. 1 School, the St. Francis

Hotel / Fletcher-Switzer Residence, and

Township Hall) and their legally defined

lots.

The Old First Baptist Church (figure 2).

Several structures in succession, all at the

same location, housed the congregation of

the First Baptist Church from its founding

in 1877 to the present. The group initially

worshipped in a dugout, which was replaced by a soddie, another dugout, and

eventually a small limestone structure.

The current structure, an L-shaped

building with intersecting gable roofs, was

completed in 1907. The exterior walls are

limestone, and the structure was coated

with stucco circa 1940; a 1960 addition

features concrete unit masonry covered

with stucco. The building has several

irregularly spaced and shaped buttresses

of limestone rubble coated with stucco.

An articulated vestibule at the intersection

of the ell segments marks the entrance to

the church.

St. Francis Hotel / Fletcher-Switzer

Residence (figure 3). Zachary Taylor

Fletcher built the initial \-lA story stone

structure in 1880 and used it as a residence and a hotel/stagecoach station. The

main portion features stucco-covered

limestone bearing walls. The main

entrance is on the northeast corner. There

are wood frame additions on the north

and south elevations. Windows are

generally one-over-one double-hung with

wood frames in various sizes. The first

floor of the original structure included a

living and dining area, and the second

story provided two guest rooms. The 1924

addition (i.e., the east end of the structure)

provided more living spaces, kitchen, and

bathroom on the first floor, and a new

staircase and bedroom on the second

floor. Later additions provided additional

bedroom and storage space and front and

back porches.
Primary Resources

Figure 2: The Old First Baptist Church as it appears today.

Figure 3: The St. Francis Hotel / Fletcher-Switzer residence has served many functions over

the years.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF NICODEMUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

Nicodemus District No. 1 School (figure

4). Nicodemus was the first community in

Graham County, Kansas, to establish a

school district and school. The existing

school building was constructed in 1918

after a fire destroyed its predecessor. The

single-story wood-frame school is square

in plan with a wood-shingle hipped roof.

A porch on the east elevation marks the

main entry to the building. The school

property also contains a one-story gableroofed shed. The structures are surrounded by a large playground and open

space. This property will be referred to as

the Nicodemus School in this document.

The African Methodist Episcopal

(A.M.E.) Church (figure 5). Area residents

founded this church in 1879. Members

initially met in a sod structure; in 1885 the

sod church was replaced with a limestone

structure. In 1910 the congregation

moved into an existing church structure in

Block 11 that was previously owned by the

Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. In the 1920s

the congregation changed a window to a

doorway and added a vestibule to provide

protection against the wind. They

continued to use the structure as a church

until circa 1940. Mr. Alvin Bates acquired

the structure for storage purposes in the

1950s.

The A.M.E. Church has exterior limestone walls that, like other stone buildings

in Nicodemus, were covered with stucco

in the 1940s. Rectangular in plan, the

single-story structure has a gabled roof, as

does the vestibule with double doors on

the east elevation. The south elevation has

four regularly spaced windows; the north

elevation was similar but collapsed and

was replaced with plywood on stud walls.

Township Hall (figure 6). The Works

Progress Administration constructed the

single-story Township Hall of locally

quarried limestone in 1939. The rectangular building is three bays wide and six bays

long. The gabled roof is covered with

asphalt shingles and has exposed false

rafter ends but no gutters. A gabled

vestibule projects from the south (front)

elevation. Nonhistoric doors are centered

on the main entry, with a window on

either side. Large metal-frame windows

are along the east and west side elevations.

The load-bearing walls are randomly sized

rock-faced limestone with buttresses on

the east and west. The roof has a steel

scissors truss structure with wood beams,

wood decking, and asphalt shingles. The

Township Hall, owned by the Township

Board, serves as the current NPS visitor

contact facility.

8
Primary Resources

Figure 4: Main entrance, Nicodemus District No. 1 School.

Figure 5: The African Methodist Episcopal Church.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF NICODEMUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

Figure 6: The historic Township Hall is the temporary home of the NPS visitor contact

facility.

10
PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PLAN

PURPOSE OF THE PLAN

The purpose of the general management

plan is to articulate a vision for

Nicodemus National Historic Site that

will guide decision making by current and

future management teams during the next

10 to 15 years. The National Park Service

is required to conduct comprehensive

general management planning to guide

specific projects, to base decisions on

adequate information and analysis, and to

track progress made toward goals. The

plan addresses NPS responsibilities at the

national historic site and provides guidance for the preservation and protection

of the area's resources. In addition, it

guides the development of the new park

unit and suggests mechanisms to form

partnerships for the long-term operation

of the national historic site. The plan

establishes the management direction for

providing basic services, which include

interpretation, resource preservation and

protection, and visitor health and safety.

NEED FOR THE PLAN

Congress authorized Nicodemus National

Historic Site on November 12,1996, with

the passage of Public Law 104-333. The

law directed the National Park Service to

"preserve, protect, and interpret... [the

site's primary resources]" and "to

interpret the historical role of the town of

Nicodemus in the Reconstruction period

in the context of the experience of westward expansion in the United States."

A variety of issues and concerns were

identified by the general public, the NPS

staff, and other agencies during scoping

for the Draft General Management Plan.

Nicodemus descendants expressed a

broad range of concerns, perceptions, and

aspirations. The most prevalent concern

expressed was the need to control telling

their history in ways that respect their

traditions, values, and beliefs.

Continued deterioration of historic

structures seriously concerns the

descendants, because this deterioration

diminishes the community's sense of

connection with a proud heritage.

Although legislation establishing

Nicodemus National Historic Site

explicitly protects their property rights,

some property owners and nascent

entrepreneurs remain concerned that the

federal government will restrict their

business opportunities through outright

condemnation or by controlling development. The potential for unsought, undesirable influences on the annual Emancipation/Homecoming celebrations and

other traditional activities by the National

Park Service was also occasionally voiced.

On a positive note, many residents

expressed their desire to work with the

National Park Service to preserve Nicodemus in ways that reflect their aspirations and beliefs. Others hope that NPS

development can be leveraged to enhance

business opportunities in Nicodemus in

ways leading to its renaissance.

On the basis of the public comments and

agency concerns, the following decisions

were addressed by this General Management Plan.

11
PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PLAN

Ways in which the National Park

Sendee can respect the needs of the

community for privacy, and balance it

with the desires of visitors to explore

the town site.

Treatment of historic structures due to

their accelerated rate of deterioration,

which in some cases poses serious

health and safety concerns.

Infrastructure necessary to support

national historic site management.

Appropriate and sustainable partnerships for resource protection and

interpretation of the historic site.

The national historic site boundary

does not include the entire national

historic landmark district.

NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

PURPOSE, SIGNIFICANCE, AND

INTERPRETIVE THEMES

The reasons for which the national

historic site was set aside as part of the

national park system provide the most

fundamental criteria against which the

appropriateness of all plan recommendations, operational decisions, and actions

are tested. The enabling legislation

defined two purposes for Nicodemus

National Historic Site:

Preserve, protect, and interpret, for the

benefit and enjoyment of present and

future generations, the remaining

structures and locations that represent

the history (including the settlement

and growth) of the town of

Nicodemus, Kansas.

Interpret the historical role of the town

of Nicodemus in the Reconstruction

period in the context of the experience

of westward expansion in the United

States.

Statements of significance clearly define

the most important things about national

historic site resources and values based on

the site's purpose. They create a tool that

managers can use in setting resource

protection priorities and in identifying

primary site interpretive themes and

desirable visitor experiences. This helps

managers and staffs focus their efforts and

limited funding on the preservation and

enjoyment of those attributes that directly

contribute to the purpose of the site and

that must be protected. Nicodemus is

significant for the following reasons:

At the end of Reconstruction,

Nicodemus was platted as an African

American community in rejection of

the rampant racism of the post Civil

War South and a key aspect of African

Americans' struggle to overcome

obstacles to social, economic, and

political equality.

Nicodemus is a symbol of the African

American pioneer spirit. It is the only

western town established by African

Americans at the end of Reconstruction that still remains, it represents a

largely untold aspect of the story of

western expansion and the settlement

of the Great Plains.

Nicodemus is one of the oldest continuously occupied African American

towns in the West.

The resources of Nicodemus represent

the five pillars of many African

12
Recommended Studies Needed

American communities, during the late

19th and 20th centuries: family/home,

church, school, business, and traditions

of mutual assistance that evolved into

local government.

A1993 special resource study of

Nicodemus concluded that the historic

district represented six significant historic

themes: "Ethnic Communities, Poverty

Relief and Social Reform, Civil Rights

Movements, Reconstruction Era,

Farmer's Frontier, and Farming Communities." The following primary interpretive themes were developed to expand

on the national themes and to guide

public understanding of the site's

significance:

Nicodemus arose from the efforts of an

organized group of African Americans

who wanted to create a supportive,

viable, African American community,

relying on the values of home life,

education, religion, hard work, and the

social, religious, and political organizations that grew out of a tradition of

mutual assistance.

The settlement of Nicodemus represents a determination to escape

rampant racism; the loss of federal

support and protection for African

American citizens in the South at the

end of Reconstruction allowed and

encouraged an increase in institutional

racism, social injustice, and violence.

The continuous occupancy of Nicodemus, Kansas, portrays African

American perseverance and the struggle of African American emigrants as

they journeyed west into an unknown

and often difficult physical environment to participate in the American

Dream.

The annual Emancipation Celebration

began in 1878 and continues today as

the Homecoming Celebration. It is an

African American traditional celebration that fosters the renewal of family

and communities with the physical

place of Nicodemus and with its

residents, offsite descendants, and the

African American community at large.

Nicodemus represents far more than a

physical place with historical significance. It serves as a focal point for all

people to renew spiritual and emotional connections to family, community,

and ancestors through this African

American experience.

Figure 7. Part of an Emancipation/

Homecoming parade.

LAWS, POLICIES, AND MANDATES

Special Mandates and

Administrative Commitments

The law that established Nicodemus

National Historic Site (Public Law 104-

333) contained special mandates and

13
PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PLAN

authorities for administration of the

historic site:

The National Park Service may enter

into cooperative agreements with

individuals, public or private agencies,

organizations, or institutions in order

to further the purposes of the historic

site. Further, the National Park Service

may provide technical assistance for

the preservation of historic structures

and maintenance of cultural landscapes

in the historic site.

The National Park Service may acquire

by donation, exchange, or purchase

lands necessary for interpretation,

preservation, or restoration of

structures within the historic site with

the following limitations: property

owned by the State of Kansas or a

political subdivision of the state may

only be acquired by donation; no

property may be acquired without the

consent of the owner of that property.

Servicewide Laws and Policies

As with all units of the national park

system, management of Nicodemus

National Historic Site is guided by the

1916 act creating the National Park

Service and other applicable laws and

regulations, such as the National Historic

Preservation Act and the National

Environmental Policy Act, as well as NPS

management policies. The most pertinent

of the mandates and policies address

management of a variety of cultural

resources (historic structures, cultural

landscapes, archeological resources, and

collections).

RECOMMENDED STUDIES NEEDED

Baseline research reports provide

information that can serve a variety of

purposes, from planning to interpretation.

A cultural landscape report and a historic

structures report have been completed for

Nicodemus National Historic Site (Bahr

Vermeer Haecker Architects, Ltd. 2002

and 2003). The cultural landscape report

focuses on identifying features that

contribute to the historic significance of

the national historic site properties and

the national historic landmark, as well as

providing guidelines on managing landscape change. The historic structures

report provides stabilization recommendations for the five historic structures.

The following studies are recommended

for completion at Nicodemus National

Historic Site:

Archeological Overview and Assessment:

This report describes and assesses the

known and potential archeological

resources in a park unit area, assesses

past work, and helps determine the

need for and design of future studies.

Archeological Identification/ Evaluation

Studies: These studies are more

detailed and identify the locations and

some of the characteristics of all or a

sample of archeological resources in a

particular area. These studies are

frequently linked with archeological

overviews and assessments to resolve

management and interpretive concerns. At Nicodemus, these studies

could greatly enhance professional

scholarship nationwide by focusing on

the analysis of material culture related

to early Black pioneer settlement in the

West and community development.

14
Historic Resource Study (HRS): A

historic resource study provides a

historical overview of a park or region

and identifies and evaluates a park

unit's cultural resources within historic

contexts.

Scope of Collection Statement: This is a

museum management document

required for all national park system

units. Evolving from legislation and

planning documents specific to each

unit, it guides acquisition and preservation of those museum objects that

contribute directly to interpretation

Recommended Studies Needed

and understanding of the unit's themes,

as well as any additional objects that

the National Park Service is legally

mandated to preserve.

Traditional Use and Ethnographic

Landscape Study: This study looks at

how the Nicodemus community

historically used the landscape and the

values they placed on different parts of

the landscape. Personal interviews and

oral histories will be useful in gathering

this information.

15
INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAN

MANAGEMENT AREAS

The National Park Service considered a

variety of management areas (or prescriptions) for portions of the national historic

site. These management areas define the

specific resource conditions that are to be

achieved and maintained over time for

each given parcel and identify the kinds

and levels of visitor use, management

activities, and development that are

appropriate within each management

area. Management areas are described in

terms of the desired visitor experience,

resource condition, and appropriate

development to be accomplished within

that portion of the site. Because the

national historic site and the town of

Nicodemus are deeply interrelated, the

National Park Service also considered

community experience as an aspect of

each potential management prescription.

Four potential management areas for

Nicodemus National Historic Site are

described below.

Story Area

Resource Conditions. Resource management activities in this management area

will be visible and accessible to the public.

A moderate level of impact on the

resources will be tolerated to accommodate a high level of visitor use. The

structural resources and cultural landscape will be rehabilitated to support the

interpretive program and in accordance

with NPS management policies. Their

rehabilitation will ensure that they are

able to withstand both the elements and a

more intense level of visitation. Resources

would be managed to retain their historic

character, representing the five pillars of

African American communities (see

previous significance statements).

Visitor Experience Conditions. The

story area will be devoted to the primary

function of telling the story of Nicodemus

and its significance to present-day Americans. Visitor interaction with resources

will be highly managed, but visitors will

enjoy direct contact with resources to

encourage a sense of stewardship and to

enhance overall resource preservation. In

this area the National Park Service will

attempt to inspire visitors with the

Nicodemus story and provide them with

opportunities to understand it in depth.

Visitors will experience a high level of

interpretation and a moderate to high

level of interaction with staff. The relatively high use of this area will generate

contact and interaction among visitors.

Residents will be invited to participate in

the interpretation program to the extent

they desire, so visitors will also have a

moderate opportunity to interact with

them. The National Park Service will work

closely with the Nicodemus community to

research, prepare, and present the site's

interpretive story.

16
Management Areas

Figure 8. Few structures obstruct the Kansas countryside.

•

Community Involvement. The community will be invited and encouraged to

participate in interpreting the national

historic site by assisting in developing and

presenting exhibits, programs, and

demonstrations. Residents and their

descendants may participate in all aspects

of the education/ research program by

sharing oral histories and family traditions. There will be opportunities to teach

and learn skills, perpetuate the tangible

evidence of their heritage, and share

artifacts, cultural materials, and expertise.

Appropriate Development Compatible

development could include workshop and

training areas, exhibit space, research

space, archive and collections space,

curatorial facilities, and climate control

and security features. New construction

will be permitted in the story area to meet

the necessary basic operational functions

and could include visitor amenities such

as indoor and outdoor exhibits, theater,

bookstore, restrooms, and parking. All

facilities will be fully accessible.

Orientation/Support Area

Resource Conditions. Resources in this

management area will likely receive much

visitor and/or staff use. The orientation

and support area will be in locations with

low resource integrity, and facilities will

be designed and maintained so that they

will not negatively impact the historical

character of the national historic site.

Visitor Experience Conditions. The

orientation area will provide visitors their

first impression of Nicodemus National

Historic Site. It will be the gateway; the

welcome mat; the inspirational "hook"

that will pique visitors' interests and set

the tone for their visit. In the orientation/

support area visitors will have a high level

of interaction with national historic site

staff as they seek information about

services, the site, and other opportunities,

but they are unlikely to encounter residents in this management area. In the

portions of the area set aside for primarily

17
INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAN

administrative functions, visitor and staff

interactions will be minimal.

Community Involvement. The community will use the orientation facilities as

a place of welcome and hospitality for

visitors. The orientation information

presented in this management area will

serve the goals of the national historic site

as well as build an economic relationship

between Nicodemus and the national

historic site by pointing out other community features, businesses, and services.

The support area will have a low impact

on the community and its lifestyle. In the

portions of the area set aside for primarily

administrative functions, a moderate level

of interaction between residents and staff

will be expected.

Appropriate Development. To successfully provide the desired visitor experience, development in this area must be

inviting. The architectural design of the

orientation facilities will be compatible

with the architecture of the site at large.

The orientation facilities could include a

visitor contact station, informational

exhibits, kiosks, wayside exhibits, administrative offices, parking, rest rooms, water,

and shelter in addition to an area in which

visitors and/or large family groups could

assemble. Existing buildings within the

town site may be used to house these

facilities if they are appropriate for the

intended use, are inviting, and do not

detract from the cultural landscape. All

facilities must comply with ADA

standards of accessibility.

Spiritual Area

Resource Conditions. Within the

spiritual management area the cultural

landscape and the historic structure(s)

will be managed to provide a contemplative opportunity and allow for personal

and fairly solitary reflection on the significance of Nicodemus. The resources will

be preserved in close to their current

conditions, but stabilized so they are safe

for unmonitored visitation. Management

activities will protect the existing integrity

of the resources.

Visitor Experience Conditions. Designation of a spiritual area will provide

visitors with a place for quiet solitude and

personal introspection, thus providing an

opportunity to reflect upon the Nicodemus story and its personal meaning for

them. This area will be dedicated to selfdiscovery and will have a minimum of

interaction among visitors or with national historic site staff. Any interpretation

will be nonintrusive and designed to support the spiritual experience of visitors.

Community Involvement. This area will

offer a place of spiritual reconnection for

residents and their descendants.

Appropriate Development. To complement the preservation goals, new NFS

development will be kept to a minimum

and will not be allowed to interfere with

the mood-setting aspects of the spiritual

management area.

Traditional Use Area

Resource Conditions. Resources may

evolve over time to suit new community

goals, conditions, and situations in this

management area. Modifications of the

cultural landscape and historic structures

could be undertaken to provide a safe

visitor experience. Alterations could

18
Guiding Principles

include essential climate and humidity

control improvements for the resources as

well as necessary security measures. New

uses may occur, allowing the cultural

landscape to continue to evolve. Development impacting the resources (directly or

indirectly) will be compatible with the

general historic character, but a high

degree of intervention and change will

occur.

Visitor Experience Conditions. A

traditional use area will present visitors

with an essentially self-guided contextual

and aesthetic experience of everyday life

in Nicodemus. They will see the town

continue to function as it always has, with

no direct interpretation and only limited

NFS influence. The potential for a variety

of land uses, including agriculture, commercial, and residential, will continue to

evolve. Residents will determine the level

of interaction with visitors. Visitors will

have low levels of contact with national

historic site staff.

Community Involvement. The resident

lifestyle will continue uninterrupted. The

concept of local self-determination will

continue unhindered.

Appropriate Development. Residents

will determine the level of new

development that is compatible with the

character of the town.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The plan is consistent with other

applicable laws, and NPS management

policies. Although there are some similar

situations in the national park system,

Nicodemus National Historic Site is

rather atypical of national park system

sites. At Nicodemus National Historic Site

the National Park Service does not own,

and may never own, much of the designnated properties in the national historic

site. The national historic site sits within a

larger national historic landmark district,

and NPS management activities and

management activities by other property

owners must be closely integrated. And,

finally, the historical significance of the

national historic site is embedded less in

the physical resources and more in the

perseverance and continuity of a community. Because of these factors, the

following guiding principles were

developed to guide NPS managers at the

national historic site:

The National Park Service minimizes

its influence on the character and

continuity of the community and

encourages community-initiated

sustainable development, which

preserves the qualities of the national

historic landmark district.

Residents, property owners, and the

National Park Service protect and

preserve the five designated historic

properties, the cultural landscape,

material culture, and archeological

resources. Residents, property owners,

and descendants are encouraged to be

involved with decision making at the

national historic site.

The National Park Service, under

existing policy, law, and regulation,

may provide technical assistance (see

glossary) to property owners and other

interested parties to encourage preservation of significant resources within

the national landmark district. Use of

federal dollars would trigger

19
INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAN

requirements that projects meet NPS

standards.

Visitor are provided opportunities to

experience a sense of discovery as they

learn about Nicodemus and the history

of African Americans seeking a

promised land in the West.

Residents and descendants have the

opportunity to perpetuate their

heritage by teaching and learning skills,

demonstrating expertise, and sharing

artifacts and other cultural materials.

The community would be encouraged

to participate in restoration and plan

implementation decisions, to help

determine the types of activities to be

provided, and to help develop exhibits,

programs, and presentations.

The community retains its characteristic quiet and helps descendants

reconnect spiritually with Nicodemus.

Residents and descendants are aware

of the importance of their evolved

community and continue to cherish

their physical connection to the past.

Management and interpretation of

Nicodemus is based on exhaustive

historical, sociological, anthropologic,

ethnographic, and archeological

research and investigation. Oral history

interviews use the most current

academic methodology.

20
THE PLAN: JOINT STEWARDSHIP

OVERALL CONCEPT

Nicodemus will retain its character as a

living, evolving community, and the public

will be invited into the community at

several areas where onsite interpretation

will be provided and in-depth stories will

be told. The National Park Service will

present interpretive programs, workshops, and skill development opportunities in consultation with community

residents and organizations.

MANAGEMENT AREAS

The National Park Service will lease or

build a facility for administration and

visitor contact as close to the historic site

as possible. Orientation to the national

historic landmark district and national

historic site will be provided at this

facility. If needed, the National Park

Service may lease additional facilities to

accommodate NPS operations. These

facilities will be included in orientation/

support management areas. The Roadside

Park will remain in town ownership but

will be included in the national historic

site boundary to facilitate cooperative

agreements with the Township Board for

maintenance of the Roadside Park and

appropriate access and use by visitors to

the national historic site.

The St. Francis Hotel and Nicodemus

School will be included in the story area to

provide opportunities for in-depth

interpretation of the Nicodemus story for

visitors. This will represent the eventual

NTS goal. Until properties are acquired by

the National Park Service from willing

sellers/ donors, use of the structures will

remain in the control of the owners.

The A.M.E. Church will be in the spiritual

area.

The traditional use area will include the

Township Hall and Old Baptist Church.

ORIENTATION AND

INTERPRETATION

Orientation to the national historic landmark district and national historic site will

be provided at the visitor contact facility.

In-depth interpretation of the Nicodemus

story will occur around and within the

historic structures managed by the

National Park Service in the story management areas. The National Park Service

will strive to minimize disruption of the

town and cultural landscape in design and

implementation of facilities and services.

The National Park Service will consult

with the community in preparing a longrange interpretation plan. Additionally,

the National Park Service will coordinate

with the community in exploring the wide

variety of media and programs that could

be offered by the National Park Service

and/or jointly with residents and local

organizations. If community members

choose to provide interpretive services,

the National Park Service will offer

interpretation training and assistance to

help develop their interpretive programs

and skills.

21
THE PLAN: JOINT STEWARDSHIP

Figure 9. The Nicodemus Township Hall and NFS visitor contact facility.

RESOURCE PRESERVATION

AND MANAGEMENT

The National Park Service will continue to

own the A.M.E. Church. A higher level of

treatment than stabilization will be

accomplished under this alternative for

the church. The National Park Service will

seek to acquire the St. Francis Hotel, and

Nicodemus School from willing sellers/

donors. The Old First Baptist Church will

remain in private ownership, and the

National Park Service will work with the

Nicodemus First Baptist Church congergation to obtain grants to rehabilitate the

building. The National Park Service will

request a cooperative agreement from the

Township Board to allow some public

access to the Township Hall. The

National Park Service will stabilize the

Township Hall and Old First Baptist

Church if they are in danger of being

physically lost.

Until the National Park Service acquires

historic site properties, it will seek facade

preservation easements to preserve the

integrity of the national historic site

properties. Ultimate treatments for the

national historic site properties under

NFS management may encompass a range

of options, including stabilization,

preservation, and rehabilitation (see

glossary). The most appropriate treatment

option for each property will be that

which maximizes its educational and

interpretive value and will be consistent

with the Secretary's of Interior's Standards

for Treatment of Historic Properties.

Under the Historic Sites Act and the

legislation establishing the national

historic site, the National Park Service has

authority to enter into agreements with

property owners to protect, preserve, and

maintain the historic buildings that remain in private ownership. The National

Park Service also will provide technical

assistance (see glossary) to the community

22
SOUTH AVENUE

li I! ill II! III ill III III III III III III III III ill ill III III III III III ill

First

Baptist

Gnu re h

Roadside Park

Town Ownership

(Boundary Proposed)

III III III III III III III III III III IK

— WASHINGTON AVENUE

Township Hall

ADAMS AVENUE

0£

ti

£

UJ

LJJ

C£.

2

i St. Francis Hotel

r"";African Methodist

'Episcopal Church

- JEFFERSON AVENUE jf !•! !•

; Nicodemus School

~t» i •• i •* i •• i •

MADISON AVENUE

MONROE AVENUE

JACKSON AVENUE

m ii i in in in in in in in in in in HI in in in HI in in in in in in in in in in in in in in in HI in HI in in FG

Orientation / Support Area

Story Area

Spiritual Area

Traditional Use Area

Note: Orientation / support area for

administration functions to

be determined

Illllllllllll National Historic Landmark

District

• •I ••! ••! ••! •

200

National Historic Site

800

NORTH I

THE PLAN

Joint Stewardship

NICODEMUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE / KANSAS

United States Department of the Interior

National Park Service

DSC/MAY, 03/030/20,005
Staffing and Operations

that will help guide long-term preservation of the cultural landscape within the

national historic landmark district.

The National Park Service will provide

appropriate curatorial storage for objects

associated with Nicodemus and its residents, consistent with objectives of the

national historic site's collection management program. Collections will be available to residents, researchers, and the

general public for investigation and

viewing, consistent with NFS policies.

The National Park Service will conduct

archeological investigations in the

national historic site and national historic

landmark district. This information will

assist in resources management and in the

national historic site's interpretation

program. Archeological materials will be

catalogued, curated, and stored at the

historic site.

FACILITIES AND DEVELOPMENT

Circulation and parking for residents of

Nicodemus will remain as they are now.

Dedicated visitor parking will be provided

at orientation sites and some interpretive

facilities. Visitor circulation around the

sites will be directed to provide a cohesive

interpretive story. Visitor circulation also

will be directed in such a way that traditional circulation pathways will not be

interrupted.

The National Park Service will adaptively

use historic structures or lease properties

within or near the landmark district to

accommodate visitor contact, administrative, and support functions. If properties are not available, the National Park

Service will purchase property for these

facilities. A visitor contact facility will be

developed to provide orientation/

interpretation to visitors upon or soon

after their arrival.

BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT

The National Park Service will propose a

minor boundary adjustment (addition)

through congressional action to include

the Roadside Park in the national historic

site boundary and possibly to provide a

location for the visitor contact facility.

STAFFING AND OPERATIONS

Onsite staff will include a superintendent,

administrative staff, maintenance staff to

care for NPS-managed properties, and

NPS rangers-interpreters to operate the

visitor contact facility. Technical expertise

related to preserving cultural properties,

community planning, collections management, and archeology may be provided on

or offsite, in cooperation with other

nearby NPS areas, by NPS regional and

central offices, or by contractors.

25
MITIGATION

The following measures have been

incorporated into the plan to avoid or

reduce impacts on national historic site

resources, visitors, and the community:

The preservation of historic structures/

buildings and cultural landscapes will be

conducted in accordance with the

guidelines and recommendations of the

Secretary of the Interior's Standards and

Guidelines for Archeology and Historic

Preservation.

All ground-disturbing activities will be

preceded by site-specific archeological

surveys, and, where appropriate, subsurface testing to determine the existence

of archeological resources. If archeological resources are discovered, the

resources will be identified, evaluated, and

documented and an appropriate

mitigation strategy developed — if

necessary in consultation with the Kansas

state historic preservation office. In the

unlikely event that human remains of any

origin are discovered during construction,

they and any associated objects will be

treated respectfully in accordance with

the beliefs of their cultural affiliation and

according to applicable laws. If remains

are of American Indian origin, provisions

of the Native American Graves and

Repatriation Act will be implemented.

The preservation of historic structures or

construction of new facilities will involve

some localized disturbance of soils and

vegetation, although most work will occur

within previously disturbed areas. Construction impacts will be mitigated by

appropriate erosion control, site restoration techniques, and dust and emission

controls.

26
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

The public was notified that a general

management plan for Nicodemus

National Historic Site was getting

underway by means of announcements in

the media. The opening of the scoping

process coincided with the Emancipation/

Homecoming Celebration held in July.

Hundreds of people attend this special

event every year, and many questions,

comments and suggestions were gathered

from the attendees. Progress reports on

the general management plan were shared

with the public at each of the subsequent

Emancipation/ Homecoming

celebrations.

After preliminary alternatives were

crafted, members of the planning team

met with each of the affected property

owners to discuss the planning process

and address their specific concerns.

Throughout the process, informal

discussions were held with township,

county, and state government officials as

the plan progressed.

With the release of the Draft General

Management Plan /Environmental

Assessment, meetings were held in

Nicodemus to discuss the plan with the

public and gather additional input. The

plan was adjusted to reflect the ideas and

concerns expressed, and the plan was

finalized on September 30,2003 with the

signing of a "Finding of No Significant

Impact."

27
APPENDIX: ENABLING LEGISLATION

PUBLIC LAW 104-333—NOV. 12, 1996

SEC. 512. NICODEMUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.

110 STAT. 4163

16 USC 461 note.

(a) FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.— (1) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— (A) the town of Nicodemus, in Kansas, has national

significance as the only remaining western town estab- lished by African-Americans during the Reconstruction

period following the Civil War;

(B) the town of Nicodemus is symbolic of the pioneer

spirit of Afican-Americans who dared to leave the only region they had been familiar with to seek personal freedom

and the opportunity to develop their talents and capabili- ties; and

(C) the town of Nicodemus continues to be a valuable

African-American community. (2) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are— (A) to preserve, protect, and interpret for the benefit

and enjoyment of present and future generations, the

remaining structures and locations that represent the his- tory (including the settlement and growth) of the town

of Nicodemus, Kansas; and

(B) to interpret the historical role of the town of

Nicodemus in the Reconstruction period in the context

of the experience of westward expansion in the United

States. (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:

(1) HISTORIC SITE.—The term "historic site" means the

Nicodemus National Historic Site established by subsection

(c). (2) SECRETARY.—The term "Secretary" means the Secretary

of the Interior. (c) ESTABLISHMENT OF NICODEMUS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.— (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Nicodemus

National Historic Site in Nicodemus, Kansas. (2) DESCRIPTION.— (A) IN GENERAL.—The historic site shall consist of the

first Baptist Church, the St. Francis Hotel, the Nicodemus

School District Number 1, the African Methodist Episcopal

Church, and the Township Hall located within the approxi- mately 161.35 acres designated as the Nicodemus National

Landmark in the Township of Nicodemus, Graham County, Kansas, as registered on the National Register of Historic

Places pursuant to section 101 of the National Historic

Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470a), and depicted on a map

entitled "Nicodemus National Historic Site", numbered

80,000 and dated August 1994. (B) MAP AND BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION.—The map referred to in subparagraph (A) and accompanying bound- ary description shall be on file and available for public

inspection in the office of the Director of the National

Park Service and any other office of the National Park

Service that the Secretary determines to be an appropriate

location for filing the map and boundary description. (d) ADMINISTRATION OF THE HISTORIC SITE.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall administer the

historic site in accordance with this section and the provisions

of law generally applicable to units of the National Park Sys- tem, including the Act entitled "An Act to establish a National

28
Appendix: Enabling Legislation

110 STAT. 4164 PUBLIC LAW 104-333—NOV. 12, 1996

Park Service, and for other purposes", approved August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), and the Act of August 21, 1935

(49 Stat. 666, chapter 593; 16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.). (2) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—To further the purposes

of this section, the Secretary may enter into a cooperative

agreement with any interested individual, public or private

agency, organization, or institution. (3) TECHNICAL AND PRESERVATION ASSISTANCE.— (A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may provide to any eligible person described in subparagraph (B) technical

assistance for the preservation of historic structures of, the maintenance of the cultural landscape of, and local

preservation planning for, the historic site. (B) ELIGIBLE PERSONS.—The eligible persons described

in this subparagraph are— (i) an owner of real property within the boundary

of the historic site, as described in subsection (c)(2);

and

(ii) any interested individual, agency, organization, or institution that has entered into an agreement with

the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (2). (e) ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary is authorized to acquire by donation, exchange, or purchase

with funds made available by donation or appropriation, such

lands or interests in lands as may be necessary to allow for

the interpretation, preservation, or restoration of the First

Baptist Church, the St. Francis Hotel, the Nicodemus School

District Number 1, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, or the Township Hall, as described in subsection (c)(2)(A), or

any combination thereof. (2) LIMITATIONS.— (A) ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY OWNED BY THE STATE

OF KANSAS.—Real property that is owned by the State

of Kansas or a political subdivision of the State of Kansas

that is acquired pursuant to paragraph (1) may only be

acquired by donation. (B) CONSENT OF JDWNER REQUIRED.—No real property

may be acquired under this subsection without the consent

of the owner of the real property. (f) GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the last day of the third

full fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this

Act, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the officials

described in paragraph (2), prepare a general management

plan for the historic site. (2) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the general management

plan, the Secretary shall consult with an appropriate official

of each of the following:

(A) The Nicodemus Historical Society. (B) The Kansas Historical Society. (C) Appropriate political subdivisions of the State of

Kansas that have jurisdiction over all or a portion of the

historic site. (3) SUBMISSION OF PLAN TO CONGRESS.—Upon the

completion of the general management plan, the Secretary shall

submit a copy of the plan to the Committee on Energy and

29
APPENDIX: ENABLING LEGISLATION

PUBLIC LAW 104-333—NOV. 12, 1996 110 STAT. 4165

Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on

Resources of the House of Representatives. (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized

to be appropriated to the Department of the Interior such sums

as are necessary to carry out this section.

30
GLOSSARY

The following definitions describe the

meaning intended by the National Park

Service in preparing this document.

Archeological Resources: The National

Park Service defines archeological

resources as "physical evidences of past

human activity, including evidences of the

effects of that activity on the environment" (DO-28,NPS Cultural Resource

Management Guideline, 1996).

Cultural landscape: A geographic area,

including both cultural and natural

resources and the wildlife or domestic

animals therein, associated with a historic

event, activity, or person or exhibiting

other cultural or aesthetic values.

Cultural resource: An aspect of a

cultural system that is valued by or

significantly representative of a culture or

that contains significant information

about a culture. A cultural resource may

be a tangible entity or a cultural practice.

Tangible cultural resources are

categorized as districts, sites, buildings,

structures, and objects for the National

Register of Historic Places and as

archeological resources, cultural

landscapes, structures, museum objects,

and ethnographic resources for NPS

management purposes.

Ethnographic Resource: Objects and

places, including sites, structures,

landscapes, and natural resources, with

traditional cultural meaning and value to

associated peoples. Ethnographic

resources eligible for the National

Register of Historic Places are called

traditional cultural properties.

Interpretation: Educational services that

provide opportunities for people to form

their own intellectual and emotional

connections to the park's/site's resources

and thus come to a greater appreciation of

the significant aspects of the country's

natural or cultural heritage portrayed by

those resources. At Nicodemus, interpretive services and programs will provide

opportunities for visitors to make intellectual and emotional connections with

the human stories represented by the

site's buildings, landscape, and artifacts,

and thus come to a greater understanding

and appreciation of the historical context

in which its founders and homesteaders

came to Nicodemus, the perseverance and

self-determination that characterized

African Americans who contributed to the

development of the American West, and

how the Nicodemus community grew and

changed in the context of late-19th and

20th century America.

Museum collection: An assemblage of

objects, works of art, historic documents,

and/or natural history specimens

collected according to a rational scheme

and maintained so they can be preserved,

studied, and interpreted for public benefit. Museum collections normally are kept

in park/site museums, although they may

also be maintained in archeological and

historic preservation centers.

National Historic Landmark (NHL): A

district, site, building, structure, or object

of national historical significance that

possesses exceptional value or quality in

illustrating or interpreting the heritage of

the United States in history, architecture,

archeology, engineering, and/or culture,

31
GLOSSARY

and is designated a national historic

landmark district by the Secretary of the

Interior under authority of the Historic

Sites Act of 1935 and entered in the

National Register of Historic Places.

National Historic Site: A unit of the

national park system authorized by the

Secretary of the Interior (under authority

of the Historic Sites Act of 1935) or by

Congress for the purpose of preserving

and interpreting a location that is

nationally significant due to its association

with broad themes in American history or

an individual or group who influenced the

course of American history; or because it

is a strong example of a major

architectural style.

Preservation: The act or process of

applying measures necessary to sustain

the existing form, integrity, and materials

of a historic property. Work, including

preliminary measures to protect and

stabilize the property, generally focuses

on the ongoing maintenance and repair of

historic materials and features rather than

extensive replacement and new construction. New exterior additions are not

within the scope of this treatment;

however, the limited and sensitive

upgrading of mechanical, electrical, and

plumbing systems and other coderequired work to make properties

functional is appropriate within a

preservation project.

Rehabilitation: The act or process of

making possible a compatible use for a

property through repair, alterations, and

additions while preserving those portions

or features that convey its historical,

cultural, or architectural values.

Stabilization: Action to render an unsafe,

damaged, or deteriorated property stable

while retaining its current form

State historic preservation officer

(SHPO): An official within each state appointed by the governor to administer the

state historic preservation program and

carry out certain responsibilities relating

to federal undertakings within the state.

Technical assistance: Technical expert

advice on techniques related to preserving, stabilizing, repairing, or restoring

cultural and, less frequently, natural

resources. Cultural resources include

historic structures, artifacts, archeological

resources, and cultural landscapes. The

assistance/advice might be provided when

responding to individual requests and

formally through special projects, workshops, courses, and similar efforts. Under

some alternatives, assistance also includes

assisting with writing grants for preservation and restoration work. In some alternatives that prescribe more substantial

support from the National Park Service,

assistance would also include the actual

stabilization or preservation of resources.

Visitor contact facility: A visitor contact

facility is a structure that contains staff

and media interpreting the story of the

national historic site. Interpretive media

may include videos, exhibits, artifacts, and

similar objects. See the definition of

interpretation for a better understanding

of the purpose of a visitor contact facility.

Such facilities usually offer sales items,

such as books, that provide visitors with

opportunities to learn more about the

history of the area. A visitor contact

facility contains basic amenities, such as

restrooms and drinking water, to support

visitor comfort.

32
REFERENCES

Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects, Ltd. in

association with Will Janney Elstner

Associates, Inc.

2002 "Nicodemus, Kansas, National

Historic Landmark Historic

Structure Report." Copy on file

at NPS Midwest Regional Office.

Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects, Ltd.

and OCULUS

2003 "Cultural Landscape Report."

Copy on file at NPS Midwest

Regional Office.

Chu, Daniel and Bill Shaw

ca 1994 Going Home to Nicodemus: The

Story of an African American

Frontier Town and the Pioneers

Who Settled It. Parsippany, New

Jersey: J. Messner.

Freeman, Allen

1991 "Kansas Homecoming", Historic

Preservation, November/

December.

National Park Service, U.S. Department of

the Interior

1974 "National Register of Historic

Places Inventory — Nomination

Form, Nicodemus, Kansas".

1986 "Promised Land on the Solomon:

Black Settlement at Nicodemus,

Kansas." Denver, Colorado:

Rocky Mountain Region.

1993

1996

2000

2001

"Nicodemus, Kansas, Special

Resource Study." Washington,

D.C.

Memorandum from William J.

Hunt Jr., Archeologist at NPS

Midwest Archeological Center to

Manager, Midwest Archeological

Center on "Archeological

investigations at Nicodemus

National Historic Site:" dated

December 5. On file at NPS

Midwest Archeological Center,

Lincoln, NE.

Memorandum from William J.

Hunt Jr., Archeologist at NPS

Midwest Archeological Center to

Manager, Midwest Archeological

Center on "Test excavations at

the AME Church, Nicodemus

National Historic Site (NICO)"

dated June 19. On file at NPS

Midwest Archeological Center,

Lincoln, NE.

Management Policies 2001.

Washington, D.C.

Northwest Kansas Planning and

Development Commission

1976 "Nicodemus Historic

Preservation and Development

Study", Hill City.

33
PREPARERS AND CONSULTANTS

National Park Service

Midwest Regional Office:

Sandra Washington, Chief of Planning

and Compliance

Sherda Williams, Historical Landscape

Architect

Craig Kenkel, Chief, Cultural

Resources

Tom Richter, Chief, Interpretation and

Education

Jill York O'Bright, Historian

Fort Larned National Historic Site:

Steve Linderer, Superintendent

Felix Revello, Chief Ranger

Denver Service Center:

Marilyn Hof, Senior Planner

Elaine Rideout, Natural Resource

Specialist

Christy Fischer, Editor

Others

Dennis Carruth, Superintendent, Aztec

Ruins National Monument

Bill Gwaltney, Assistant Regional

Director, Intermountain Regional

Office

Keith Payne, Landscape

Architect/Planner, Rocky

Mountain National Park

Moriba McDonald, Historian,

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

National Historical Park:

Earlice Switzer-Rupp, Nicodemus

Historical Society

Angela Bates-Tompkins, Nicodemus

Historical Society

Project Consultants

Mrs. Ernestine Van Duvall, Nicodemus

Township

Carolyn Wallingford, Curator, Midwest

Regional Office, National Park

Service

Fred Suarez, Chief Land Resources,

Midwest Regional Office, National

Park Service

Steve Cinnamon, Chief, Natural

Resources, Midwest Regional Office,

National Park Service

Mike Evans, Senior Ethnographer,

Midwest Regional Office, National

Park Service

Doug Scott, Archeologist, Midwest

Archeological Center, National Park

Service

Bill Hunt, Archeologist, Midwest

Archeological Center, National Park

Service

Bess Sherman, Special Assistant to

Director, National Park Service

Al Hutchings, Associate Regional

Director, Professional Services and

Legislation, National Park Service

34
I

5

I

I

I

I

I

As the nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has

responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This

includes fostering sound use of our land and water resources; protecting our fish,

wildlife, and biological diversity; preserving the environmental and cultural values of our

national parks and historical places; and providing for the enjoyment of life through

outdoor recreation. The department assesses our energy and mineral resources and

works to ensure that their development is in the best interests of all our people by

encouraging stewardship and citizen participation in their care. The department also has

a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who

live in island territories under U.S. administration.

NTS D-7 April 2004 Printed on recycled paper