Statement of Significance (as of designation - February 18, 1997):
The Spring Hill Ranch represents the transition from the open range to the enclosed holdings of the large cattle companies in the 1880s. The enclosure and consolidation of ranches during the late 19th century was accompanied by the improvement of range cattle through purebred breeding programs and, in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, a distinctive practice of fattening southwestern cattle on bluestem pastures during the summer before shipping them to market in the fall. The enclosed ranches helped transform the expanding cattle industry from a primitive frontier activity into a modern industry. The ranch headquarters and intact ranch lands illustrate an important chapter in the history of the southern plains of the U.S.

Condition:
The exterior of the 1882 Lower Fox Creek School has been completely repointed, all windows and door rehabilitated, and the interior non-original floor replaced. All the work was accomplished using the 20% Fee Demonstration funds and a private grant obtained from the Warhol Foundation. The current landholder and major partner in the preserve, the National Park Trust, wrote the grant. A Historic Resource Study and Phase I of a Cultural Landscape Report have been completed.