Saline Courthouse Restoration
 Rose, Oklahoma
PROPERTY DETAILS:
Property Address:
Located approximately eight miles east of
Locust Grove on Highway 33/Scenic 412, at
the Mayes/Delaware County line, on County
Road 449,  Rose, Oklahoma
Property Size:
14 acres
Former Use:
Misdemeanor Court
Contaminants Found:
Lead-based paint
Current Use:
126-year-old historic site
Current Owner:
Cherokee Nation
PROJECT PARTNERS:
  Saline Preservation Association
  Cherokee Nation
FUNDING DETAILS:
128a Targeted Brownfields
Assessment (2007)
$4,500
EPA Hazardous Cleanup Grant
(Cooperative Agreement, 2008): $152,000
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS:
The Cherokee Nation reacquired the site with
the Courthouse in October 2005 and created
a master plan to develop the Saline National
Park, the first national park for the Cherokee
Nation.
Created 14 acres of green space, 12 clean up
jobs, 10 redevelopment jobs and leveraged
$240,000.
PROJECT TIMELINE:
September 2007:
Phase I Assessment completed
December 2007:
Phase II Assessment completed
October 2008:
Cleanup Grant awarded and planning began
September 2009:
Cleanup activities began; 12 cleanup jobs
created and $30,400 leveraged
September 2010:
Renovation and restoration of the courthouse
completed and the national park has opened
LOCAL POINT OF CONTACT:
            Bobby Short
         Cherokee  Nation
     Environmental Programs
           918-453-5089
      Bob-Short@cherokee.org
EPA Clean-up Grant helps the Cherokee Nation
preserve its last existing rural courthouse

Drivers for Redevelopment: In 2005, the Cherokee Nation reacquired
the site with the Courthouse and created a master plan to develop the
Saline National Park, the first national park for the Cherokee Nation. The
success of the project was contingent on addressing the environmental
conditions of the Courthouse which prevented the park from being open
to the public. Remediation of lead-based paint (LBP) was required. High
levels of lead were found on interior and exterior walls and along the soil
drip line of the Courthouse during an LBP assessment. The Cherokee
Nation competed for and was selected in 2008 to receive a $104,000
EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant and the project quickly moved forward.
Supplemental funding of $48,000 was awarded to complete the project.

Property  History: The Saline District Courthouse is the only remaining
one of nine rural courthouses built in the 1880s by the Cherokee Nation
of Oklahoma. The original structure, built in 1884, was about half the size
it is now. It was later added to and adapted to use as a country home. The
courthouse sits on 14 acres, along with a springhouse and the Teehee
Cemetery. The original Saline community consisted of a general store,
blacksmith shop, grist mill, hotel and  several homes.

Project Results: The Saline National Park master plan calls for a multi-
purpose use of the Courthouse, potentially a re-created courtroom,
museum,  gift shop and/or office space.  Other projects include restoration
of the springhouse, reconstruction of a low-water dam,  expansive trails,
nature areas, protected cemetery, several bridges, covered picnic areas,
outdoor classrooms and art and nature  exhibits. The Park will honor the
resilience of a displaced people, their success with independent rule, and
their gentle relationship with the environment; and it will serve as a gift to
future generations to enjoy for years to come.

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