106TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 658 

AN ACT 

To establish the Thomas Cole National Historic 

area of the National Park System. Site in the State of New York as an affiliated 


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106TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 658 

AN ACT 

To establish the Thomas Cole National Historic Site in the 

State of New York as an affiliated area of the National 

Park System. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

2 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

3 ‘‘Thomas Cole National Historic Site Act’’. 

4 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents of 

5 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Definitions. 

Sec. 3. Findings and purposes. 

Sec. 4. Establishment of Thomas Cole National Historic Site. 

Sec. 5. Retention of ownership and management of historic site by Greene 

County Historical Society. 

Sec. 6. Administration of historic site. 

Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 As used in this Act: 

8 (1) The term ‘‘historic site’’ means the Thomas 

9 Cole National Historic Site established by section 4 

10 of this Act. 

11 (2) The term ‘‘Hudson River artists’’ means 

12 artists who were associated with the Hudson River 

13 school of landscape painting. 

14 (3) The term ‘‘plan’’ means the general man15 agement plan developed pursuant to section 6(d). 

16 (4) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

17 of the Interior. 

18 (5) The term ‘‘Society’’ means the Greene 

19 County Historical Society of Greene County, New 

20 York, which owns the Thomas Cole home, studio, 

21 and other property comprising the historic site. 


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1 SEC. 3. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) The Hudson River school of landscape 

4 painting was inspired by Thomas Cole and was char5 acterized by a group of 19th century landscape art6 ists who recorded and celebrated the landscape and 

7 wilderness of America, particularly in the Hudson 

8 River Valley region in the State of New York. 

9 (2) Thomas Cole is recognized as America’s 

10 most prominent landscape and allegorical painter of 

11 the mid-19th century. 

12 (3) Located in Greene County, New York, the 

13 Thomas Cole House, also known as Thomas Cole’s 

14 Cedar Grove, is listed on the National Register of 

15 Historic Places and has been designated as a Na16 tional Historic Landmark. 

17 (4) Within a 15 mile radius of the Thomas Cole 

18 House, an area that forms a key part of the rich 

19 cultural and natural heritage of the Hudson River 

20 Valley region, significant landscapes and scenes 

21 painted by Thomas Cole and other Hudson River 

22 artists, such as Frederic Church, survive intact. 

23 (5) The State of New York has established the 

24 Hudson River Valley Greenway to promote the pres25 ervation, public use, and enjoyment of the natural 


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1 and cultural resources of the Hudson River Valley 

2 region. 

3 (6) Establishment of the Thomas Cole National 

4 Historic Site will provide opportunities for the illus5 tration and interpretation of cultural themes of the 

6 heritage of the United States and unique opportuni7 ties for education, public use, and enjoyment. 

8 (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— 

9 (1) to preserve and interpret the home and stu10 dio of Thomas Cole for the benefit, inspiration, and 

11 education of the people of the United States; 

12 (2) to help maintain the integrity of the setting 

13 in the Hudson River Valley region that inspired ar14 tistic expression; 

15 (3) to coordinate the interpretive, preservation, 

16 and recreational efforts of Federal, State, and other 

17 entities in the Hudson Valley region in order to en18 hance opportunities for education, public use, and 

19 enjoyment; and 

20 (4) to broaden understanding of the Hudson 

21 River Valley region and its role in American history 

22 and culture. 


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1 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THOMAS COLE NATIONAL HIS2 TORIC SITE. 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established, as an af4 filiated area of the National Park System, the Thomas 

5 Cole National Historic Site in the State of New York. 

6 (b) DESCRIPTION.—The historic site shall consist of 

7 the home and studio of Thomas Cole, comprising approxi8 mately 3.4 acres, located at 218 Spring Street, in the vil9 lage of Catskill, New York, as generally depicted on the 

10 boundary map numbered TCH/80002, and dated March 

11 1992. 

12 SEC. 5. RETENTION OF OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF 

13 HISTORIC SITE BY GREENE COUNTY HISTOR14 ICAL SOCIETY. 

15 The Greene County Historical Society of Greene 

16 County, New York, shall continue to own, administer, 

17 manage, and operate the historic site. 

18 SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION OF HISTORIC SITE. 

19 (a) APPLICABILITY OF NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM

20 LAWS.—The historic site shall be administered in a man21 ner consistent with this Act and all laws generally applica22 ble to units of the National Park System, including the 

23 Act of August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.; commonly 

24 known as the National Park Service Organic Act), and 

25 the Act of August 21, 1935 (16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.; comVerDate Aug 31 2005 11:44 May 08, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\PICKUP\H658.EH H658

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1 monly known as the Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiq2 uities Act). 

3 (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 

4 (1) ASSISTANCE TO SOCIETY.—The Secretary 

5 may enter into cooperative agreements with the So6 ciety to preserve the Thomas Cole House and other 

7 structures in the historic site and to assist with edu8 cation programs and research and interpretation of 

9 the Thomas Cole House and associated landscapes. 

10 (2) OTHER ASSISTANCE.—To further the pur11 poses of this Act, the Secretary may enter into coop12 erative agreements with the State of New York, the 

13 Society, the Thomas Cole Foundation, and other 

14 public and private entities to facilitate public under15 standing and enjoyment of the lives and works of 

16 the Hudson River artists through the provision of 

17 assistance to develop, present, and fund art exhibits, 

18 resident artist programs, and other appropriate ac19 tivities related to the preservation, interpretation, 

20 and use of the historic site. 

21 (c) ARTIFACTS AND PROPERTY.—The Secretary may 

22 acquire personal property associated with, and appropriate 

23 for, the interpretation of the historic site. 

24 (d) GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN.—Within two 

25 complete fiscal years after the date of the enactment of 


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1 this Act, the Secretary shall develop a general manage2 ment plan for the historic site with the cooperation of the 

3 Society. Upon the completion of the plan, the Secretary 

4 shall provide a copy of the plan to the Committee on En5 ergy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Com6 mittee on Resources of the House of Representatives. The 

7 plan shall include recommendations for regional wayside 

8 exhibits, to be carried out through cooperative agreements 

9 with the State of New York and other public and private 

10 entities. The plan shall be prepared in accordance with 

11 section 12(b) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–1 et 

12 seq.; commonly known as the National Park System Gen13 eral Authorities Act). 

14 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

15 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

16 as are necessary to carry out this Act. 

Passed the House of Representatives September 13, 

1999. 

Attest: 

Clerk. 


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