Jimmy Carter National Historical Park, in Plains, Georgia, preserves the history of the 39th president of the United States. Carter was elected president on Nov. 2, 1976. The historical park includes Carter’s boyhood farm, the former Plains High School, the Plains railroad depot, and Carter’s current home. Exhibits at these locations celebrate the Carter family’s relationship with this rural Georgia town.
Carter’s boyhood home was a 360-acre (146-hectare) farm. The current site consists of 17 acres (6.9 hectares) of the original farm, including the house and a farm supply store owned by Jimmy’s father, Earl Carter. The restored farm shows visitors what life would have been like for young Jimmy Carter. The farm and store belonged to Earl Carter from 1928 until the late 1940’s.
The park museum and visitor center are in the former Plains High School, where Jimmy Carter; his wife, Rosalynn; and their three sons completed their secondary education. The building houses exhibits that explain the importance of education in Carter’s career. It features a restored classroom, principal’s office, and auditorium. The Plains High School closed as a public school in 1979.
The Plains railroad depot served as headquarters for Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign. The depot is the town’s oldest standing structure. It originally belonged to the Savannah, Americus and Montgomery Railroad, but it changed hands several times before it closed in the early 1970’s. On Jan. 19, 1977, 382 supporters of Carter left the station aboard an Amtrak train called the “Peanut Special” bound for Carter’s inauguration (swearing in) in Washington, D.C. The Plains Historical Trust donated the restored depot to the National Park Service in 1988.
The Carters returned to Plains in 1981, following Jimmy Carter’s presidency. The Secret Service protects the area surrounding the Carters’ home, and the public may not enter. In the high school, however, visitors can watch a recorded tour of the home given by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. The Jimmy Carter National Historical Park is part of the Jimmy Carter National Preservation District, a group of buildings and properties in and around Plains dedicated to preserving the story of Jimmy Carter’s life. The National Park Service operates the park.
