MARFA, Texas — The Blackwell School Site in Marfa, Texas, has been declared America’s newest national park by President Joe Biden.

President Biden signed the Blackwell School National Historic Act to permanently protect the site as well as teach the history of Texas school districts that established separate elementary schools for Mexican American children through de facto segregation. Mexican American children received education at the Blackwell School the experiences of the teachers and students at the site are a documentation of life in a segregated school.

 “As a nation, we must face the wrongs of our past in order to build a more just and equitable future. The ugliness of the segregation era had many impacts that we have failed as a nation to adequately acknowledge,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “This new designation will help us tell a truer American story, and ensure this important and painful chapter in our nation’s history is preserved and remembered for the generations to come.” 

The school site that is still standing today consists of the original 1909 adobe schoolhouse and the Band Hall, a smaller 1927 classroom building filled with photos, memorabilia and a panel that features stories and quotes from students and teachers.

“It is our solemn responsibility as caretakers of America’s national treasures to tell the whole story of our nation’s heritage for the benefit of present and future generations,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “The National Park Service will continue working closely with key stakeholders dedicated to the preservation of Blackwell School, and those directly impacted by the de facto segregation of Mexican Americans during the early 1900s, to preserve and interpret this significant historic site to the public.” 

The school is currently open to the public with limited hours of service. The Blackwell School Alliance, a local nonprofit made up of Blackwell School alumni, has been managing the site and will continue to do so until the National Park Service acquires the property. To formally establish the national park, the NPS will work with the Town of Marfa to acquire the land, a process which may take more than a year.