What Is Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument?
Today, this is the Carlisle Barracks and Army War College!
What Makes It Historical?
First set aside for military use in the late 18th Century, the barracks in Carlisle took on their most significant role after the Confederacy burned them down ahead of Gettysburg. That was when Lieutenant Richard Pratt had the idea that the end of conflicts with Native Americans would only come when their traditions and identities were stripped away, and so he proposed this semi-abandoned military base as headquarters to “Kill the Indian in him, and save the man.”
From 1879 until 1918, over 7,800 young folks from over 140 tribes were brought here to have their hair cut, clothes changed, and names Anglicized. They were taught trade skills from carpentry to blacksmithing to masonry, as well as field medicine and music. Some alumni went on to great success, like nurse, Cora Elm; composer, Dennison Wheelock; and athletes, Frank Mt. Pleasant, Jr. and Jim Thorpe! But the program, which spanned 417 boarding schools across the country, cost thousands their heritage, identify, and language, some of which are still in recovery today, some of which are lost forever! Attitudes toward the school changed into the early 20th Century, and it was the outbreak of World War I that shuttered the school and returned the Carlisle Barracks to War Department ownership on September 1, 1918!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer at Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
870 Jim Thorpe Rd
Carlisle, PA 17013
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
The visitor center is open weekdays from 7:00 AM until 3:00 PM, but base access starts at 10:00 AM!
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