George Washington Carver National Monument
Encyclopedia
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
located about two miles west of Diamond, Missouri
Diamond, Missouri
Diamond is a city in Newton County, Missouri, United States near Joplin, Missouri. The population was 902 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri, Metropolitan Statistical Area...
; the national monument
U.S. National Monument
A National Monument in the United States is a protected area that is similar to a National Park except that the President of the United States can quickly declare an area of the United States to be a National Monument without the approval of Congress. National monuments receive less funding and...
was founded on July 14, 1943, by Franklin Delano Roosevelt who dedicated $30,000 US to the monument. It was the first national monument dedicated to an African-American and first to a non-President.
The site preserves the site of the boyhood home of George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver , was an American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he is believed to have been born into slavery in Missouri in January 1864....
, as well as the 1881 Moses Carver
Moses Carver
Moses Carver was a settler and foster father of George Washington Carver.Moses Carver and his brother Richard migrated to southwest Missouri around 1838 from Ohio and Illinois. The Preemption Act of 1841 allowed farmers who lived on and improved of land for six months to buy the land from the...
house and the Carver cemetery. It features a nature trail and museum. His boyhood home consists of rolling hills, woodlands, and prairies. The 210 acres (85 ha) park has a 3/4 mile (1.2 km) nature trail, museum, and an interactive exhibit area for students. This cultural setting includes the 1881 Historic Moses Carver house and the cemetery. It is open year round, from 9 am-5 pm.