NPS to study Ohio abolitionist’s home as possible new park

By Rob Hotakainen | 02/29/2024 04:24 PM EST

The study will evaluate the home of John P. Parker, a stop on the Underground Railroad that helped win freedom for hundreds of enslaved people.

The John P. Parker House in Ripley, Ohio.

The John P. Parker House in Ripley, Ohio. Nyttend/Wikimedia

The Interior Department said Thursday that a study will soon assess whether the former home of a prominent Ohio abolitionist and entrepreneur should become a new national park.

The study by the National Park Service will evaluate the restored home of John P. Parker in Ripley, Ohio.

Parker’s house was considered an important stop on the Underground Railroad and helped secure freedom for hundreds of enslaved people.

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Congress ordered the study in December 2022 when the measure was included in a year-end spending bill.

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