The Ripon Rabbit
UPDATED: MAY 12 2023 – UPDATE APPEARS IN RED BELOW
On April 20th the local paper ran the following breaking news:
However that story was crafted, it isn’t really a fair headline considering the facts. Strangely, this email conversation is also dated April 20th and appears to be a response from Sherry Frear, the Chief and Deputy Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program, to Mandy Kimes regarding a request for an appeal regarding the Little White Schoolhouse.
If anyone doubt’s the validity of this email, one could call Sherry directly at the number provided and ask, although she is an extremely busy person and her comms will be consistent to the info contained within the conversation above.
In the email, the first of many that we have received Frear explains that the Keeper’s decision not to approve the move of the Little White Schoolhouse cannot be administratively appealed. She goes on to clarify that the appeal information found online applies to the National Park Service historic tax credit program, and property owners who have been denied approval of their rehabilitated historic commercial property may appeal that decision to the Chief Appeals Officer.
Additionally, Frear notes that according to National Register regulations, a National Register-listed building moved without approval by the Keeper of the National Register is automatically removed from the National Register of Historic Places. Thus, the Little White Schoolhouse National Register listing has been removed from the National Register.
Finally, Frear clarifies that the National Register of Historic Places and the National Historic Landmarks Program are two separate programs within the Park Service. Therefore, withdrawal of the Little White Schoolhouse NHL designation requires further review, and as of the date of the email, the Little White Schoolhouse retains its NHL designation.
The headline “U.S. Department of Interior debunks claims that Ripon’s Little White Schoolhouse has been removed as a national landmark” appears disingenuous because it misrepresents the information provided in the email from Sherry Frear, the Deputy Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places in full. Although it is some very clever wordsmithing, it does not reflect the whole story.
In her email, Frear clearly stated that the Little White Schoolhouse had been removed from the National Register of Historic Places, which is a separate program from the National Historic Landmarks (NHL) Program. While the NHL status of the Little White Schoolhouse had not been withdrawn as of the date of the email, the removal from the National Register still had significant implications for the historic status of the building. By stating that the U.S. Department of Interior debunked claims of the removal of the Little White Schoolhouse as a national landmark, the local newspaper appears to be misleading its readers and downplaying the significance of the National Register’s decision. It is unclear why all the information was not included in the BREAKING NEWS STORY.
The decision regarding the final issue of the Little White Schoolhouse debacle related to NHL ultimately rests solely in the hands of the current administration’s Secretary of the Interior because the Little White Schoolhouse was REMOVED from the National Register of Historic Places, which is managed by the National Park Service, which in turn falls under the Department of the Interior. The Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places, who is a part of the National Park Service, has already made a decision and removed the Little White Schoolhouse from the National Register due to the building’s relocation without approval. However, the National Register and the National Historic Landmarks Program are two separate programs within the Park Service, and the Little White Schoolhouse still retains its National Historic Landmark designation for now as the email conversation provides.
The Secretary of the Interior has the exclusive authority to review and potentially overrule decisions made by the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places, as well as decisions related to National Historic Landmarks. Therefore, if there were any further legal challenges or requests to reconsider the decision regarding the Little White Schoolhouse status as a historic landmark, the Secretary of the Interior would be the final decision-maker.
Here’s a clip of the Secretary of Interior testifying before a Senate committee. Who would like the Vegas odds on whether she will approve the Landmark revocation of the LWSH?
🔥 MUST WATCH: Biden Interior Secretary Deb Haaland defends her radical climate agenda by saying there are actually TOO MANY JOBS in the United States — then gets roasted by Senator @HawleyMO. pic.twitter.com/NkSR0KC4yv
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 2, 2023
UPDATE: We have added additional emails leading up to the April 20th 2023 email above. These updated emails below are from the date range of Monday April 3rd 2003 – Monday April 17th 2023 (the day of the little white schoolhouse move).
RE_-EXTERNAL-Request-for-appeal-regarding-the-Little-White-Schoolhouse_Redacted
