Press Releases

Washington - Today, Representative Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) and John P. Parker Historical Society President Carol Stivers testified in support of Rep. Wenstrup’s bill, the John P. Parker House Study Act (H.R. 6799). The bill directs the Department of the Interior to conduct a special resource study which will evaluate the feasibility of establishing the John P. Parker Historical House, located in Ripley, Ohio, as a unit of the National Park System. This hearing highlights a true Southern Ohio landmark, and continues the work to ensure that the house is properly cared for and enjoyed by generations to come.

Click here to view Representative Wenstrup's testimony.

"The John P. Parker House in Ripley, Ohio, is a historic treasure, and we must ensure it is properly cared for in the years to come," said Representative Wenstrup. "H.R. 6799 would do exactly that, by requiring the National Park Service to determine whether or not the Parker House should be designated as a unit of the National Park System."

"I also cannot compliment Mrs. Stivers enough for her leadership and service to our community in championing John Parker’s legacy for future generations. We would not have a house to preserve without Carol and her amazing team of volunteers.”

Click here to view Carol Stivers' testimony.

"We want the whole country and the world to know about John P. Parker," said Carol Stivers, of Brown County. "Because the National Park Service is the foremost organization to promote American heroes, we feel that John P. Parker is a perfect fit."

Background:

John P. Parker, a famous member of the Underground Railroad, is credited with helping secure the freedom of hundreds of enslaved African Americans. He was born into slavery in 1827 and bought his freedom in 1845. Following his liberation, Parker first moved to Cincinnati before settling in Ripley, Ohio. He later founded and ran a successful machine manufacturing business, becoming one of the first African Americans to receive patents for his inventions. His home was nearly lost to a fire in 1889 and some of the lost parts were not rebuilt. The house was left decrepit and almost lost to history before it was taken over by the John P. Parker Historical Society in 1996. The House was later designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1997.

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