The Blackwell School in Marfa was officially designated as a National Historic Site and a part of the National Park System this past Tuesday.

Congressman of the school’s region, Tony Gonzales, spearheaded the bill over a year ago with the hopes of preserving an important piece of Latino history to the area.

“The Blackwell School is a unique school that highlights Mexican American history and the difficulties they had to deal with growing up. The other part of it is that the school is that there are still members of the local community that went to the school,” Gonzales said. “Adding a National Historic Site to West Texas is going to bring economic opportunity as well. Culturally, economically, historically, it ensures that those stories never be forgotten. I’m very proud to get it done.”

Gonzales introduced the legislation in July 2021. A companion bill in the U.S. Senate was introduced by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Alex Padilla (D-CA). With its passage going through the House on Sept. 20, the bill will go to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

The Blackwell School served as the only school for children of Mexican descent in Marfa to attend from 1909 to 1965.

In 2019, the school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and met the qualifications to become a National Historic Site.

Once signed into law, the legislation will establish the Blackwell School as one of the few national park sites specifically designated to commemorate Latino history and culture in the United States.

“The message that Mexican American students received when they stepped through the doors of the Blackwell School was simple - you are second-class citizens,” said Theresa Pierno, National Parks Conservation Association President and CEO. "They were given hand-me-down furniture and outdated textbooks. They were told to bury their native language and leave it behind. The odds were stacked against them, but many Blackwell students persevered and even saw their school as a place of joy. Today, Congress stood up for those same students and sent a different message: you matter, and your powerful stories will not be brushed aside or forgotten.”