GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN
for
Nez Perce National Historical Park
and
Big Hole National Battlefield

PIERCE COURTHOUSE

The Pierce Courthouse, first public building in Idaho, is one block off Main Street (Idaho Highway 11) in Pierce, Idaho. A wayside exhibit summarizes the impact of gold mining on the Nez Perce. Eight panels inside the court house detail the area's history. Mining led to the reduction of the Nez Perce reservation through the treaty of 1863.

The courthouse sits on a grassy lot in a small mountain town surrounded on three sides by residential development. The 20' x 40' log building with board and batten veneer was rehabilitated in 1990. Although its original context may no longer exist, it is situated among a number of other suitably scaled mining town structures. The building is open on request and on summer weekends.

The staff and volunteers of the adjacent Pierce Historical Society Logging Museum operate the courthouse building under a long-standing cooperative agreement with Idaho State Historical Society. The contract provides for maintenance and interpretation.
Map of site

 MANAGEMENT ISSUES

  • There is no tie-in with other sites of Nez Perce National Historical Park except in the park brochure.

  • The site is hard to find because of its location off Main Street.

  • The site offers an opportunity to tell about the effects of logging on the Nez Perce homeland.

  • Some of the interpretive exhibits in the courthouse need repair.

 ACTION PLAN

  • The Park Service will coordinate with the Idaho State Historical Society and Pierce Historical Society to upgrade interpretation.

  • Efforts will be made to get the Idaho Transportation Department sign removed or replaced with a directional sign.

  • The Park Service will continue to provide technical assistance with preservation as needed, and agreements will be retained.


http://www.nps.gov/nepe/gmp8-12.htm
Last Updated: 12-Nov-1999 ÿ