The U.S. House passed a measure to explore whether the New Philadelphia town site should become a unit of the National Park System.
New Philadelphia located within Pike County, Illinois was the first town built by an African-American. It was founded by Frank McWorter in 1836.
Sandra Washington with the National Park Servicesays the site was deemed nationally significant during a preliminary study in 2010.
But the service needs to decide whether New Philadelphia meets the other criteria for new national parks.
- Is it a place that visitors can readily understand and access and enjoy?
- It is an area that can be managed without putting any visitor services on the site as to avoid diminishing the integrity of the site?
- Is the National Park Service necessary because no one else is able to do the job?
Washington says it could take up to three years to answer those questions. Ultimately Congress would decide whether the site should become a unit of the National Park System.
U.S. Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois sponsored the legislation. The measurestill needs to pass the Senate and be signed into law by President Barack Obama.
New Philadelphia was deemed a National Historic Landmark in 2005 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
