Oklahoma Historical Society

PROJECT PURPOSE

ARPA-HHS-2101 - Visitor Experience - Completed in 1845, Hunter?s Home is the only antebellum, plantation-style home that remains in Oklahoma. Built by the enslaved workers of George Murrell and his Cherokee wife, Minerva Ross, daughter of Cherokee National Treasurer Lewis Ross, the home offers visitors a rare view of life in the Cherokee Nation prior to the Civil War. To make the home accessible to visitors, and to accommodate necessary interior office space, a portion of the porch was enclosed to create office space, and a ramp was added for accessibility. These modifications are causing harm to the home and creating unsafe working conditions by restricting air flow resulting in mold growth. The construction of a small visitor center will provide space for public restrooms, offices, and gift shop operation allowing us to remove these functions from the home and open up the spaces within the home again eliminating the mold problem and minimizing wear and tear on the historic home. We will also be able to remove the ramp and install a lift to provide access with minimal impact on the historic building.

EVIDENCE

Our projects utilize local or regional contractors to perform the work and draw local, state and national visitation to the area thus boosting the local economy from construction activities and tourism for the area and state.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

The communities and local businesses around this site were impacted by the state shutdown and the decline of tourism as a result of the COVID pandemic. The local communities, municipalities and businesses lost revenue from sales, lodging, taxes and other tourism related benefits. This project benefits everyone by employing local businesses to create or improve local attractions and facilities to improve local tourism and community programing. The main economic drivers in Cherokee County are agriculture, health care, and entertainment/hospitality/recreation. The county population is 47,078, and the population of the community of Park Hill where the historic site is located is 3,193. The largest employer in the Park Hill community is Park Hill Nursery. . The median income is $42,774, but there is an income inequity with 21% of the population living in poverty. 13% of the population under 65 is disabled. The unemployment rate is 3.11%. The population is young with 28% under 18.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Project performance will be measured by visitation statistics with our current monthly statistical tracking system and tracking earned income at the site.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma