FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma has added Fort Wayne’s Chief Richardville House to its National Register of Historic Places and contributed financially to the preservation of the historic property.

The announcement was commemorated Oct. 23 during an event hosted by the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society at the History Center. The event marked the 200th anniversary of the 1826 Treaty of Mississinewas.

The house, also known as Akima Pinšiwa Awiiki in the Myaamia language, honors Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville, who served as principal chief of the Miami Nation from 1818 until his death in 1841.

Richardville acquired the land through the 1818 Treaty of St. Marys, which allowed him to select five sections of land in a location of his choosing. The area surrounding the house became an important political center for Myaamia people living near Kiihkayonki, the Myaamia name for Fort Wayne.

The Chief Richardville House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012. Both designations are administered by the National Park Service. The property is described as the only surviving treaty house in the United States.

The History Center obtained the property in 1991 and has maintained it since then. In 2016, the organization contacted the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to discuss preservation efforts. The Tribe contributed funds to replace the house’s roof.

The latest designation on the Tribe’s own historic register, along with its financial contributions, reflects its continued efforts to preserve places connected to Miami history and culture.

For more information, contact the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society History Center at 260-426-2882, extension 311.