The Yuma Street Historic District in Manhattan, Kansas is a historic district which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 3, 2023. It was a historic center for the Black community in Manhattan, emerging during the American period of racial segregation. The Yuma Street Historic District stands in the southern portion of Manhattan. It includes the Second Baptist Church, United Service Organization, Douglass Park, Douglass School, and Shepard Chapel.
Yuma Street Historic District | |
   | |
| Location | Yuma Street, Manhattan, Kansas |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°10′51″N 96°33′22″W / 39.18083°N 96.55611°W |
| Architect | John Walters |
| NRHP reference No. | 100008518[1] |
| Added to NRHP | January 3, 2023 |
History
editYuma Street has been a center for the Black community in Manhattan since the late 1870s when the first organizations and framed buildings started appearing.[2] It's churches have consistently been an integral institutional centerpiece that brought the Black community together.[3] The Yuma Street Historic District contains three such churches that have been an anchor of support for the local Black community. It also includes the Douglass School, once an elementary school for Black children during segregation, and a former United Service Organization building that was for Black soldiers' recreation.[4]
Many buildings in the historic district were designed by architect Dr. John Walters, who was better known for his buildings on the campus of Kansas State University. [5]
References
edit- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Historic Properties | Manhattan, KS - Official Website". cityofmhk.com. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Dome, AJ (February 4, 2023). "YUMA STREET | More of Manhattan's historic Black community makes national, state registers". The Mercury. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ Palmer, Breanna (February 24, 2022). "'This is home to me': Yuma Street, Douglass Center represent rich history of Black community in Manhattan". The Collegian. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "Yuma Street Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved November 7, 2023.