Tag Archives: National Historic Site

Christiansted National Historic Site

December 19, 2019 Raven About The Parks 2 Comments

Overview

Three of the Virgin Islands were purchased by the United States in 1917, supposedly to prevent Germany from establishing a Caribbean naval base during World War I. The southern island of St. Croix was originally claimed by Spain, England, the Netherlands, and France, before being purchased by Denmark in 1733. The Danish West India and Guinea Company grew sugarcane on the island utilizing slave labor (until 1848), with slaves outnumbering the free population 9,000 to 1,000. The port town of Christiansted was planned by Frederick Moth and named in honor of Danish King Christian VI.

Highlights

Fort Christiansvaern, Old Danish Customs House, Steeple Building

Must-Do Activity

Fort Christiansvaern was completed in 1749 and is the highlight of this National Park Service (NPS) site. Pick up a self-guided tour booklet at the NPS visitor center so you do not miss any hidden corners, like the dungeon. Ask a park ranger about tours that may be available to see inside the other six buildings that comprise Christiansted National Historic Site. The Scale House was under construction during our visit, but typically has exhibits on its bottom floor.

Best Trail

There are no trails, but sidewalks lead from Fort Christiansvaern to the Government House (that is still used for official business) and the Lutheran Church, which is next to a sprawling and interesting cemetery.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The beautiful yellow structures were built in neoclassic style and are best exemplified by the Customs House, which dates to 1841.

Peak Season

Anytime except hurricane season

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/chri/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

$7 per person or America the Beautiful pass

Road Conditions

Roads are paved and there is a designated parking lot at Fort Christiansvaern with a two hour time limit. Note: you drive on the left side of the road in the U.S. Virgin Islands, but in standard American left-side driver seat vehicles.

Camping

There is no official NPS campground at Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve, but people camp along the coast there and at many beachside locations around the entire island.

Related Sites

Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve (Virgin Islands)

Buck Island Reef National Monument (Virgin Islands)

Virgin Islands National Park (Virgin Islands)

Explore More – What famous American patriot worked in Christiansted as a boy (Hint: he has a Broadway musical written about him)?

North Carolina

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

December 5, 2019 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

In Manteo, North Carolina, the Outer Banks islands protect Albemarle Sound, where Roanoke Island can be found. If that name sounds familiar, it is because it was here that Fort Raleigh became the first English settlement in North America. First scoped out in 1584, its original inhabitants all left with Sir Francis Drake after supply ships failed to arrive. The 117 colonists that came in 1587 actually wanted to settle further north on Chesapeake Bay, but their captain left them here instead. John White soon sailed back to England to get aid, but an ongoing war with the Spanish Armada kept him away until 1590. Upon his return he found the fort deserted, the buildings stripped, and a fencepost marked “CROATOAN” (the name of nearby island). White was thwarted in his attempt to land on Croatoan Island by a hurricane, so to-this-day nobody knows the true fate of the colonists.

Highlights

Museum, site of first British colony in America, Lost Colony Outdoor Drama

Must-Do Activity

The National Park Service museum has excellent displays, including the videos of Sir Walter Raleigh (the fort’s namesake) in the Elizabethan Room. It offers all the theories on happened to the settlers so visitors can decide what they believe. “The Lost Colony” did lend its name to an outdoor musical performed most nights throughout the summer within the boundaries of Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.

Best Trail

The Thomas Hariot Nature Trail provides views of the reconstructed earthen fort, musical theater, and Albemarle Sound. Hariot was a scientist who searched Roanoke Island in 1585 for precious metals and made drawings of the local flora and fauna.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Waterside Theatre has hosted the outdoor symphonic play “The Lost Colony” every summer since 1937.

Peak Season

Summer beach season when the musical theater has performances

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/fora/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None, except for tickets to the Lost Colony Outdoor Drama. Admission is also charged at the adjacent Elizabethan Gardens.

Road Conditions

All roads paved.

Camping

There is a private campground nearby, but we recommend you reserve a campsite near the beach within beautiful Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Related Sites

Cape Hatteras National Seashore (North Carolina)

Wright Brothers National Memorial (North Carolina)

Colonial National Historical Park (Virginia)

Scott inside of a Elizabethan Room at Fort Raleigh

Explore More – What was the name of the baby girl born at Fort Raleigh, famous as the first child born of English parents in the Americas?

Idaho, Washington

Minidoka National Historic Site

October 15, 2019 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

One of the many things that makes this country great is its willingness to remember inglorious moments in its past, such as the internment of 110,000 Japanese-Americans during World War II. Most of the 13,000 Japanese-Americans imprisoned in central Idaho were from Oregon, Alaska, and Washington, including Bainbridge Island where a memorial stands today that is considered part of Minidoka National Historic Site.

Highlights

Guard tower, film, Honor Roll, barrack, mess hall, baseball field, root cellar

Must-Do Activity

The site in Jerome, Idaho now has a new visitor center that shows an excellent film. From there (or the guard tower) you can access the 1.6-mile interpretive trail. There was a portion of the museum at Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument dedicated to Minidoka National Historic Site, but that may not be there anymore.

Best Trail

A 1.6-mile trail passes historic structures lined with many interpretive signs. Highlights include the root cellar, baseball field, and a tarpaper mess hall.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The guard tower on the North Side Canal stands near the Honor Roll, which was recreated to match one from the 1940s that listed Japanese-Americans serving in the U.S. armed forces.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/miin/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

The main access road is paved, but some of the surrounding farm roads are dirt. Follow driving directions on the park website, and note that the site is about an hour away from the town of Minidoka, Idaho. You can park at the guard tower or just down the road at the new visitor center’s gravel parking lot.

Camping

Bruneau Dunes State Park offers camping south of Interstate 90 and is a fun spot to visit with sandboards available for rental.

Tule Lake National Monument (California)

Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (Idaho)

Explore More – Minidoka War Relocation Center was the seventh largest city in Idaho on March 1, 1943; what was its maximum population?

Massachusetts

Springfield Armory National Historic Site

October 1, 2019 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

The arsenal at Springfield, Massachusetts began manufacturing guns during the American Revolution and became the first National Armory in 1794. For nearly 200 years it served its purpose before being donated by the military for the creation of Springfield Technical Community College in 1967. The National Park Service (NPS) maintains a museum and former officer’s quarters on 55 acres at the back of the gated campus.

Highlights

Museum, film, Organ of Muskets

Must-Do Activity

Start your visit with the 14-minute film, then peruse the two halves of the museum, one side dedicated to weaponry and the other to industry. Watch the scale model of the Blanchard Eccentric Lathe as it demonstrates the shaping of wood to match a metal template. This technology was first introduced here and is commonly used today to create keys, furniture, and baseball bats.

Best Trail

There are no trails, but you can walk the sidewalks around the brick buildings that once housed the armory and are now the campus of Springfield Technical Community College.

Instagram-worthy Photo

The “Organ of Muskets” inspired the 1845 anti-war poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a Harvard professor with his own NPS site.

Peak Season

Summer

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/spar/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

Follow street signs from Interstate 91 exits to the main gate for Springfield Technical Community College then back to the free parking lot by the NPS museum.

Camping

Granville State Forest is located 20 miles west of Springfield, Massachusetts on Highway 57.

Related Sites

Longfellow House – Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site (Massachusetts)

Minute Man National Historical Park (Massachusetts)

Coltsville National Historical Park (Connecticut, authorized in 2014 but remains unfunded)

Tiff signing the guest book with a rifle pen

Explore More – Who was the Springfield Armory employee who invented the M 1 rifle used throughout World War II?

Arkansas

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site

August 27, 2019 Raven About The Parks Leave a comment

Overview

In the heart of downtown Little Rock, Arkansas is a beautiful high school that took center stage in this nation during September 1957. A landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision (Brown v. Board of Education) mandated desegregation of schools nationwide. Blocked from entering the high school for weeks, with U.S. military intervention eventually nine African-American students attended classes here, with the one senior (Ernest Green) graduating on May 25, 1958.

Highlights

Museum, Commemorative Garden, restored 1957 filling station, memorial benches

Must-Do Activity

Kitty-corner from the still-active high school, the National Park Service (NPS) runs a visitor center with an excellent museum on integration. We were surprised to learn that rather than continue with desegregation, all area schools were closed for the 1958-59 academic year. Three African-American students attended Little Rock Central High School the next year, and today the school is still operating, serving as a living memorial to civil rights. Keeping up with the news, it may not seem like we have made much progress in the United States, but looking back to the past shows us how far we have come as a society.

Best Trail

Guided streetscape tours are given on most weekends (reservations required a minimum of 24 hours prior). It is recommended you contact the NPS at least one month in advance to reserve a weekday tour inside the high school.

Instagram-worthy Photo

Across the street from the high school, the NPS has preserved a filling station as it appeared in 1957.

Peak Season

Spring and fall

Hours

https://www.nps.gov/chsc/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Fees

None

Road Conditions

All roads paved and there is a small parking lot at the NPS visitor center.

Camping

West of Little Rock, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages a campground at Maumelle Park, near Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Hot Springs National Park offers a campground 56 miles away.

Looking outside toward the high school from the NPS visitor center

Explore More – Schools in which Arkansas town had already successfully integrated without any hubbub years before the events at Little Rock Central High School?

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Start your U.S. National Forests, National Parks, and National Monuments adventure here!