News Release

National Park Service Director Sams visits parks in southeast Ohio for National Park Week

NPS Director Sams receives an update on the restoration of the historic home during a visit to Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument.

NPS/Alex Picavet

News Release Date: April 22, 2022

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Yesterday, National Park Service Director Chuck Sams visited parks in southeast Ohio to shine light on several wonderful but lesser-known national parks during National Park Week. The Director visited Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Wilberforce and Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in Chillicothe, and met staff from Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park and William Howard Taft National Historic Site. 

While visiting Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument the Director saw the progress on the major restoration of the historic home of Charles Young, an 1889 West Point graduate and decorated commissioned officer in the United States Army who served in the 9th Cavalry and, as part of his military duties, was the first African American national park superintendent. This is the first major investment in the infrastructure of this historic home since it became a part of the National Park Service in 2013. The renovation will restore the home back to its period of historic significance when Colonel Charles Young and his family occupied the home in the early to mid-1900’s. The structural and utility components of the rehabilitation will bring the facility up to current building code and increase accessibility by altering doorways and restrooms as well as adding a passenger elevator. The $5.4 million construction contract was awarded to a small, minority-owned business in September 2021, with an expected completion in spring/summer of 2023. 

Director Sams also met with active-duty military members from the U.S. Army Marauder Battalion R.O.T.C at Central State University and from the B2 Office at Wright Patterson Air Force Base who volunteer at the park and recently completed several projects in honor of National Park Week. The director presented them with the America the Beautiful Military Passes, which grant active-duty military members, veterans and Gold Star Families with free access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks.   

While visiting Hopewell Culture National Historic Park, Sams was briefed about the park’s upcoming 100th anniversary and nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage list that is currently under evaluation by the World Heritage Committee. The World Heritage Committee includes representatives of 21 nations and meets once each year to render final decisions on nominations. A final determination is expected in the summer of 2023.  

During his visit to the park Sams also observed a distance learning class in progress. The park regularly interacts virtually with K-12 classes, college, and adult learning groups across the country and in Canada. Yesterday, Park Ranger Kate Owen was working with a class of 2nd graders from Tacoma, Washington. The park has reached more than 300 students in the past six months.

Learn more about national parks in Ohio and how to sPark Connections during National Park Week!