Philadelphia plans bus depot atop black historic site.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

PHILADELPHIA _ A bus depot designed to serve all of Independence National Historical Park will be constructed directly over what scholars now believe is one of the nation's most significant historic African American sites.

The National Constitution Center, the private nonprofit organization building the depot, has no plans to conduct an archaeological excavation of the home of James Oronoke Dexter _ much to the dismay of historians, black civic and religious leaders, city tourism officials, and some politicians.

While he is not widely known, Dexter _ whose story is just now coming to light _ was a central figure in the building of free black society in post-revolutionary America.

Joseph M. Torsella, president of the Constitution Center, said last week that construction of the depot did not require extensive excavation and posed no threat to whatever traces of Dexter may remain in the resonant soil of Independence Mall.

"The bottom line is we do not anticipate any impact on the underlying (archaeological) resource," Torsella said. "Ultimately, the resource is there for research another day."

Dennis R. Reidenbach, acting park superintendent, said that National Park Service policy discouraged archaeological excavation of sites not in imminent ...