Georgia’s congressional delegation wants the federal government to redesignate the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site as the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park.
The new designation would help protect various historic locations and attract more people to visit Plains, Ga., the home town of the 39th president of the United States, proponents say.
As envisioned, the new park would include four locations: the Carter boyhood farm, Plains High School, the Plains Train Depot and the home where the Carters currently live. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, attended Plains High School, and Carter ran his 1976 presidential campaign from the town’s train depot, which dates to 1888.
“President and Mrs. Carter had a huge impact in Georgia, the entire nation, and throughout the world. They have dedicated their entire lives to public service. With this legislation, visitors now and in the future will come to Plains and be inspired to serve the nation and make a difference,” U.S. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop, D-Ga., said in a news release. “There is no other community more reflective of President and Mrs. Carter’s life and values as their hometown of Plains, Georgia and the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park.”
The proposal is part of HR 5472, which the delegation introduced on Dec. 18.
“One thing is certain: President and Mrs. Carter have never forgotten where they came from,” U.S. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., said in a news release. “Growing up in rural Georgia taught the Carters the importance of faith, family, and service, and those values have guided them their entire lives.
“Today, Plains, Georgia is a living monument to the Carters and their lifetime of service,” Perdue said. “I’m proud to stand with the entire Georgia delegation to ensure President Carter’s legacy is preserved for generations to come. We should never forget that in America, the son of a small-town peanut farmer can become president of the United States.”