Preservation

Historic preservation is essential for Nicodemus National Historic Site to tell the stories of the people who lived in Nicodemus and the community they built. Preservation keeps these stories of the past alive so that current and future generations can learn from them.

Shortly after Nicodemus was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1976, the National Park Service raised concerns about the condition of historic buildings in town and a need to document the cultural landscape. A cultural landscape is a historically significant area that shows clear signs of humans interacting with the physical environment; in this case, the Nicodemus townsite.

In 1981, the Rocky Mountain Regional Office, now part of the Intermountain Regional Office, started to thoroughly document Nicodemus’ cultural landscape through methods created by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS). One of the goals of this documentation was recording the physical landscape of Nicodemus, including the five historical buildings that are part of Nicodemus National Historic Site.

The research from the HABS includes site maps and detailed drawings of historic buildings, as well as planning and research documents developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s, such as the Cultural Landscape Report and General Management Plan. These documents provide important guidance for historic preservation of the site’s cultural resources.

Historic preservation of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church was a high priority because of the building’s deteriorated condition at the time Nicodemus National Historic Site was established. In 1995 and 1996, NPS preservation crews from the Southwest Regional Office, now part of the Intermountain Regional Office, did emergency stabilization work to prevent the AME Church from deteriorating more. This included cleaning out the building, identifying artifacts for preservation, shoring up and patching holes in the north wall, and installing a temporary tin roof.

NPS preservation crews and contractors replaced the unsalvageable roof, doors, windows, and north wall, saving many original limestone blocks for potential re-use. Other restoration work included installing a new joist system to support the wooden floor, of which about 80% is original, re-plastering the interior walls, applying new stucco to the outside, and installing steel cables and box beams to support the walls and roof.

Since many historic buildings may be used for a long time and change appearance or use, a “period of significance” must be determined for the restored appearance and structure of a building. NPS staff used the existing structure, photographs, oral histories, news articles, and other sources to set this period as the 1940s for the AME Church. The restored AME Church shows how the church would have looked for worshippers at this time and includes original church seating salvaged from the building. AME Church restoration was completed in February 2021, and the building has been open to the public since July 2021. To preserve the AME Church and its original furnishings and structure, we ask that visitors use care when inside the building.

The Township Hall, currently home to the visitor center, has been used continuously since its completion in 1939, so historic preservation looks different for this building. The NPS maintains the building for site and community use, following early guidelines that “every effort should be made to ensure the survival of the building” while maintaining its historical integrity. This is achieved through practices like using exhibits that leave little impact and soft-washing the exterior limestone bricks to prevent their deterioration and larger-scale projects to stabilize the building and repair features.

With the recent acquisition of the historic First Baptist Church in August 2024, Nicodemus National Historic Site looks forward to managing historic preservation of the building so that Nicodemus descendants and park visitors can continue to learn more about its role in Nicodemus history.