I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4706 
To establish the Blackwell School National Historic Site in Marfa, Texas, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 27, 2021 
Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas (for himself and Mr. VELA) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the Blackwell School National Historic Site in 
Marfa, Texas, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Blackwell School Na-
tional Historic Site Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.—The term ‘‘na-
tional historic site’’ means the Blackwell School, in 
Marfa, Texas. 
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(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds as follows: 
(1) The Blackwell School, located at 501 South 
Abbott Street, in Marfa, Presidio County, Texas, is 
associated with the period of racial segregation in 
Marfa public schools and is the sole extant property 
directly associated with Hispanic education in the 
community, the remaining buildings having been 
torn down after the school closed in 1965. 
(2) The Blackwell School is a tangible reminder 
of a time when the practice of ‘‘separate but equal’’ 
dominated education and social systems. Despite 
being categorized as ‘‘white’’ by Texas law, Mexican 
Americans were regularly excluded from commin-
gling with Anglos at barbershops, restaurants, fu-
neral homes, theaters, churches, and schools. 
(3) The spectrum of experiences of students 
and teachers at the Blackwell School constitute an 
important record of life in a segregated school in the 
context of the history of Texas and America. 
(4) Mexican and Mexican American culture and 
history in Marfa is tied to the Blackwell School, 
which for more than 50 years served as a leading 
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feature of the Hispanic community, illustrating the 
challenge of maintaining cultural identity in a domi-
nant Anglo society. Yet today, Hispanic influences 
are seen in Marfa’s social and religious organiza-
tions, business and government institutions, and 
shared experiences of language, food, and music. 
(5) The historic Blackwell School building is a 
physical record of the longevity and beauty of the 
distinctive design and craftsmanship informed by 
both traditional techniques and materials, and the 
transition from purely the vernacular to the period 
of materials, design, and workmanship made avail-
able after the arrival of the railroad. The original 
historic school building and grounds on which it 
stands provide an authentic setting to commemorate 
and interpret the history of the Blackwell School. 
(6) The Blackwell School is closely associated 
with the broad patterns of local, State, and national 
history in the area of school segregation. Mexicans 
and other members of the Latin American diaspora 
have placed a high value upon education as a means 
of economic, social, and political advancement. 
(7) Mexican Americans and other members of 
the Latin American diaspora have placed a high 
value upon education as a means of economic, social, 
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and political advancement. However, Hispanics and 
Latinos have not always had equitable opportunities 
and access to quality educational facilities in the 
United States. 
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BLACKWELL SCHOOL NA-
TIONAL HISTORIC SITE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
there is established the Blackwell School National 
Historic Site in the State of Texas as a unit of the 
National Park System to preserve, protect and inter-
pret for the benefit of present and future genera-
tions the Blackwell School, its role as both an aca-
demic and cultural cornerstone in the community in 
Marfa, Texas, and its function within a segregated 
system of education in Texas and the United States 
from 1885 through 1965. 
(2) CONDITIONS.—The national historic site 
shall not be established until the date on which the 
Secretary has— 
(A) entered into a written agreement with 
the Marfa Unified School District providing 
that the Blackwell School shall be donated to or 
placed by agreement into co-management with 
the United States for inclusion in a national 
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historic site to be managed consistently with the 
purposes of a national historic site; and 
(B) acquired sufficient land or interests in 
land within the boundaries of the national his-
toric site to constitute a manageable unit. 
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The boundaries of the national 
historic site shall be the boundaries generally depicted on 
the map. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file 
and available for public inspection in the appropriate of-
fices of the National Park Service. 
(d) ACQUISITION
OF AUTHORITY.—The Secretary 
may only acquire any land or interest in land located with-
in the boundary of the national historic site by— 
(1) donation; 
(2) purchase with donated funds; or 
(3) exchange. 
(e) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall admin-
ister this national historic site in accordance with— 
(A) this Act; and 
(B) the laws generally applicable to units 
of the National Park System. 
(2) MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 
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(A) Not later than 3 years after the date 
on which funds are first made available to the 
Secretary for this purpose, the Secretary shall 
prepare a general management plan for the na-
tional historic site in accordance with section 
100502 of title 54, United States Code. 
(B) Upon completion, the Secretary shall 
submit the general management plan prepared 
pursuant to subparagraph (A) to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources of the Senate. 
(f) COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary 
shall enter into cooperative agreements with the Blackwell 
School Alliance (and other local, regional, State, academic 
and nonprofit partners) for interpretive and educational 
programming, technical assistance, and rehabilitation re-
lated to the national historic site. 
(g) WRITTEN CONSENT
OF OWNER.—No private 
property or non-Federal public property shall be included 
within the boundaries of the national historic site or man-
aged as part of the national historic site without the writ-
ten consent of the owner of such property. 
Æ 
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