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Union Calendar No. 381 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2129 

[Report No. 108–637] 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources study 

regarding the suitability and feasibility of designating certain historic 

buildings and areas in Taunton, Massachusetts, as a unit of the National 

Park System, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 15, 2003 

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts (for himself and Mr. LYNCH) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2004 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 15, 2003] 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special 

resources study regarding the suitability and feasibility 

of designating certain historic buildings and areas in 

Taunton, Massachusetts, as a unit of the National Park 

System, and for other purposes. 
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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Taunton, Massachusetts 

5 Special Resources Study Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The city of Taunton, Massachusetts, is home 

9 to 9 distinct historic districts, with more than 600 

10 properties on the National Register of Historic Places. 

11 Included among these districts are the Church Green 

12 Historic District, the Courthouse Historic District, 

13 the Taunton Green Historic District, and the Reed 

14 and Barton Historic District. 

15 (2) All of these districts include buildings and 

16 building facades of great historical, cultural, and ar17 chitectural value. 

18 (3) Taunton Green is the site where the Sons of 

19 Liberty first raised the Liberty and Union Flag in 

20 1774, an event that helped to spark a popular move21 ment, culminating in the American Revolution, and 

22 Taunton citizens have been among the first to volun23 teer for America’s subsequent wars. 
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1 (4) Robert Treat Paine, a citizen of Taunton, 

2 and the first Attorney General of Massachusetts, was 

3 a signer of the Declaration of Independence. 

4 (5) Taunton was a leading community in the 

5 Industrial Revolution, and its industrial area has 

6 been the site of many innovations in such industries 

7 as silver manufacture, paper manufacture, and ship 

8 building. 

9 (6) The landscaping of the Courthouse Green was 

10 designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also left 

11 landscaping ideas and plans for other areas in the 

12 city which have great value and interest as historical 

13 archives and objects of future study. 

14 (7) Main Street, which connects many of the his15 toric districts, is home to the Taunton City Hall and 

16 the Leonard Block building, 2 outstanding examples 

17 of early 19th Century American architecture, as well 

18 as many other historically and architecturally signifi19 cant structures. 

20 (8) The city and people of Taunton have pre21 served many artifacts, gravesites, and important doc22 uments dating back to 1638 when Taunton was 

23 founded. 

24 (9) Taunton was and continues to be an impor25 tant destination for immigrants from Europe and 
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1 other parts of the world who have helped to give 

2 Southeastern Massachusetts its unique ethnic char3 acter. 

4 SEC. 3. STUDY. 

5 The Secretary, in consultation with the appropriate 

6 State historic preservation officers, State historical soci7 eties, the city of Taunton, and other appropriate organiza8 tions, shall conduct a special resources study regarding the 

9 suitability and feasibility of designating certain historic 

10 buildings and areas in Taunton, Massachusetts, as a unit 

11 of the National Park System. The study shall be conducted 

12 and completed in accordance with section 8(c) of Public 

13 Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–5(c)) and shall include anal14 ysis, documentation, and determinations regarding whether 

15 the historic areas in Taunton— 

16 (1) can be managed, curated, interpreted, re17 stored, preserved, and presented as an organic whole 

18 under management by the National Park Service or 

19 under an alternative management structure; 

20 (2) have an assemblage of natural, historic, and 

21 cultural resources that together represent distinctive 

22 aspects of American heritage worthy of recognition, 

23 conservation, interpretation, and continuing use; 
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1 (3) reflect traditions, customs, beliefs, and histor2 ical events that are valuable parts of the national 

3 story; 

4 (4) provide outstanding opportunities to conserve 

5 natural, historic, cultural, architectural, or scenic fea6 tures; 

7 (5) provide outstanding recreational and edu8 cational opportunities; and 

9 (6) can be managed by the National Park Serv10 ice in partnership with residents, business interests, 

11 nonprofit organizations, and State and local govern12 ments to develop a unit of the National Park System 

13 consistent with State and local economic activity. 

14 SEC. 4. REPORT. 

15 Not later than 3 fiscal years after the date on which 

16 funds are first made available for this Act, the Secretary 

17 shall submit to the Committee on Resources of the House 

18 of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Nat19 ural Resources of the Senate a report on the findings, con20 clusions, and recommendations of the study required under 

21 section 3. 

22 SEC. 5. PRIVATE PROPERTY. 

23 The recommendations in the report submitted pursu24 ant to section 4 shall discuss and consider the concerns ex25 pressed by private landowners with respect to designating 
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1 the certain structures referred to in this Act as a unit of 

2 the National Park System. 

3 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

4 There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as 

5 may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. 

Union Calendar No. 381 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2129 

[Report No. 108–637] 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 

other purposes. as a unit of the National Park System, and for buildings and areas in Taunton, Massachusetts, and feasibility of designating certain historic a special resources study regarding the suitability 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2004 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,