NPS – 1872 Neosho Colored School

HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT, NEOSHO, MISSOURI

In conjunction with the George Washington Carver Birthplace Association and the National Park Service, STRATA was selected to prepare a historic structure report for the Neosho Colored School built ca. 1872. The school operated as a public school for black children from 1872 to 1891 and then returned to residential use. The intent of the report was to document the structure’s existing conditions and to determine through in-depth historical research once and for all that the school building was in-fact the school building that George Washington Carver attended.

Working with a team of professionals, the HSR includes: existing conditions drawings in ACAD format, historical research, conditions assessment of the structures, determination of existing structural capacity and design, MEP analysis and replacement HVAC systems recommendations, exterior and interior restoration recommendations, ADA accessibility analysis, egress code compliance evaluation, and the development of long term treatment recommendations for the building’s preservation and interpretation as a historic landmark. The historical research did confirm that this was the school building that George Washington Carver attended while he was in Neosho, Missouri during the 1876-77 school year. The HSR will also serve as a guide for the long-term care and restoration and rehabilitation of this important structure well into the future.