"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Rural School 51 Stabilized

The stabilization of Rural School 51, Park Hill, was complete this week. The $20,000-plus restoration effort is part of the Cherokee Nation’s cultural tourism program to preserve Cherokee Nation historical landmarks.

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma - A preservation campaign is underway to save a public schoolhouse that is nearly a century old.

The Cherokee Nation’s cultural tourism department’s effort to stabilize Rural School 51, a Cherokee Nation historical landmark located in Park Hill, was complete this week. The first phase, intended primarily to stabilize the building, included boarding and sealing the building’s windows, placing a weatherproof membrane over the roof’s remnants and remediating lead, asbestos and other hazardous materials in the facility. The project cost was more than $20,000.

“It is crucial that we make every effort to maintain and preserve the buildings of the Cherokee people’s past for future generations,” said David Stewart, CEO of Cherokee Nation Enterprises, which operates the Cherokee Nation’s cultural tourism department. “With its strong connections to the Indian Territory era, School 51 is a living monument to the Cherokee Nation’s continued survival.”

Rural School 51 was a public school built in 1913 for Cherokee and non-Cherokee students. The school is adjacent to the Ross Cemetery, which is the burial site of many removal-era leaders and Trail of Tears survivors. The cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Along with Rural School 51, several other historic buildings are undergoing restoration in an effort to preserve, protect and promote Cherokee history. The Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Building in Tahlequah and the Cherokee Heritage Center in Park Hill are also undergoing construction efforts.

Cherokee Nation’s cultural tourism department was created in 2007 to promote the story of the Cherokee people. Efforts by the Cherokee Nation include developing guided community and educational tours, creating tourism partnerships and programs throughout northeastern Oklahoma, and launching a new Cherokee tourism-specific Web site. For more information, visit Cherokee Tourism OK.