News Release

National Park Service seeks public input on the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools Special Resource Study

The Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools Special Resource Study will focus on sites throughout the country associated with Julius Rosenwald, like this former school house in Macon County, Alabama.

Photo used with permission from Andrew Feiler from the book "A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools that Changed America."

News Release Date: June 27, 2022

Contact: [e-mail]

WASHINGTON, DC — The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public input on a special resource study on sites associated with the life and legacy of American businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. The public comment period will run from July 1 through 31 and the NPS will host two virtual public meetings on July 6 and 7. The study will focus on sites associated with Julius Rosenwald in the following locations:  

- Sears Administration Building at Homan Square in Chicago, Illinois
- Rosenwald Court Apartments in Chicago, Illinois
- Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago, Illinois 
- Rosenwald House (formerly the Lyon Home) at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois 
- Cairo Rosenwald School, a one-teacher school in Sumner County, Tennessee 
- Shady Grove School, a one-teacher school in Louisa County, Virginia 
- Noble Hill School, a two-teacher school in Bartow County, Georgia 
- Ridgeley School, a two-teacher school in Prince George’s County, Maryland 
- Bay Springs School, a two-teacher school in Forrest County, Mississippi 
- Russell School, a two-teacher school in Durham County, North Carolina 
- Shiloh Rosenwald School, a three-teacher school in Macon County, Alabama 
- San Domingo School, a four-teacher school in Wicomico County, Maryland
- Elmore County Training School, a seven-teacher school in Elmore County, Alabama 
- Dunbar Junior High, Senior High and Junior College in Little Rock, Arkansas   

The four sites in Illinois are associated with Rosenwald's life and philanthropy. The remaining ten sites are Rosenwald school sites in eight states. 

The study was authorized by Congress in the "Julius Rosenwald and the Rosenwald Schools Act of 2020" (Public Law 116-336), which directed the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study. The study’s findings, along with any recommendations from the Secretary of the Interior, will be reported to Congress. The study is expected to run through early 2024.  

The NPS will evaluate each of the properties listed in the study legislation, individually and collectively, using congressionally established criteria for national significance, suitability, feasibility, and need for direct NPS management. Based on the analysis, the NPS will determine whether each site meets the criteria for inclusion in the National Park System and will prepare the study for the Secretary of the Interior. If a study site does not meet all four criteria, the study process usually concludes for that site. The study findings along with the Secretary's recommendations, if any, will then be submitted to Congress for consideration. New national parks can only be established by Congress or by Presidential Proclamation. 

The NPS will involve the public in the study by gathering information from the public about the sites in the study area, determining the level of support and identifying any issues or concerns associated with a site's potential inclusion in the national park system.   

To participate, the NPS will host virtual public meetings on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, at 7 p.m. EDT and Thursday, July 7, 2022, at 7 p.m. EDT. The online meeting on July 6 will focus on the four Illinois site listed in the study. The online meeting on July 7 will focus on the Rosenwald Schools.  Please visit go to National Park Service - PEPC - Meeting Notices (nps.gov) for details and a link to the online meetings.  

To view the project newsletter or share your input with the study team during the comment period from July 1-31, please go to: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/Rosenwald  

A link to a recording of the meetings will be available after July 7, 2022. 

The open comment period will run from July 1 to July 31, 2022. General inquires or feedback before and after the open comment period can be sent to: e-mail us or submitted by phone to: Cherri Espersen, 202-641-0876.  
 

www.nps.gov

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.