I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 5399

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Abel and Mary Nicholson House located in

Elsinboro Township, Salem County, New Jersey, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 5, 2000

Mr. LOBIONDO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Resources

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Abel and Mary

Nicholson House located in Elsinboro Township, Salem

County, New Jersey, as a unit of the National Park

System, and for other purposes.

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 ‘‘Abel and Mary Nichol5 son House National Historic Site Study Act of 2000’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 Congress finds that—
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1 (1) the Abel and Mary Nicholson House, lo2 cated in Elsinboro Township, Salem County, New

3 Jersey, was built in 1722;

4 (2) the original section of the House is the only

5 pristine, surviving portion of a Delaware Valley brick

6 patterned-end house featuring a diaper or diamond

7 pattern in glazed bricks in the gable wall of the

8 building, and less elaborate decorations of checkered

9 string courses on the other 3 walls;

10 (3) the original section of the House—

11 (A) contains early paint, original hinges,

12 locks, shelving, floorboards, roof framing, and

13 chimneypieces; and

14 (B) has received only routine maintenance

15 and no major remodeling, and is without the in16 trusion of either electricity or a central heating

17 system;

18 (4) the 1859 addition to the House enhances

19 the significance of the property with a similar level

20 of architectural integrity;

21 (5) the House has well-documented associations

22 with the earliest Quaker settlement in North Amer23 ica;

24 (6) the House and surrounding property may

25 be available for acquisition from a willing donor; and
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1 (7) the House is—

2 (A) 1 of the most significant ‘‘first period’’

3 houses surviving in the Delaware Valley; and

4 (B) an architectural Rosetta stone on the

5 domestic life of the first 2 generations of set6 tlers in the Delaware Valley.

7 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

8 In this Act:

9 (1) HOUSE.—The term ‘‘House’’ means the

10 Abel and Mary Nicholson House located in Elsinboro

11 Township, Salem County, New Jersey.

12 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means

13 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Di14 rector of the National Park Service.

15 SEC. 4. STUDY.

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the

17 date on which funds are made available to carry out this

18 Act, the Secretary shall, in consultation with the State of

19 New Jersey—

20 (1) carry out a study on the suitability and fea21 sibility of designating the House as a unit of the Na22 tional Park System;

23 (2) consider management alternatives to create

24 an administrative association with the New Jersey

25 Coastal Heritage Trail Route; and
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1 (3) submit to the Committee on Resources of

2 the House of Representatives and the Committee on

3 Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a re4 port describing the findings of the study.

5 (b) CONTENTS.—The study under subsection (a)

6 shall be conducted in accordance with Public Law 91–383

7 (16 U.S.C. 1a–1 et seq.).

8 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

9 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums

10 as are necessary to carry out this Act.

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