49–010 

Calendar No. 554 

109TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 2d Session 109–311 

MINUTE MAN NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK BOUNDARY 

STUDY 

JULY 31, 2006.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. DOMENICI, from the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 394] 

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, to which was 

referred the Act (H.R. 394) to direct the Secretary of the Interior 

to conduct a boundary study to evaluate the significance of the 

Colonel James Barrett Farm in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the suitability and feasibility of its inclusion in the National Park System as part of the Minute Man National Historical 

Park, and for other purposes, having considered the same, reports 

favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the 

Act do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE MEASURE

The purpose of H.R. 394 is to direct the Secretary of the Interior 

to study the suitability and feasibility of including the Colonel 

James Barrett Farm as part of Minute Man National Historical 

Park, Massachusetts. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED

On April 18 and 19, 1775, British troops marched from Cambridge, Massachusetts to the farm of colonial militia leader Colonel 

James Barrett in Concord in an effort to confiscate stolen brass 

cannons and arrest the American rebellion’s leaders. In the weeks 

before the British patrol, Barrett’s farm had been home to the cannons, munitions, and other arms, but the militia had received advanced warning of the British army’s plan, and had hidden the 

arms in the fields and surrounding countryside. 


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At Concord, the militia forces, led in part by Colonel Barrett, engaged the British at the town’s Old North Bridge and routed them. 

The British retreated and colonial militias harried them all the 

way back to Boston. The day’s activities, which became known as 

the Battle of Lexington and Concord, marked the beginning of the 

war between Britain and the American colonies and the start of the 

colonial siege of Boston. 

Minute Man National Historic Park, established by Congress on 

September 21, 1959, protects many of the locations associated with 

the Battle of Lexington and Concord, but not Colonel Barrett’s 

farm. H.R. 394 would study the suitability and feasibility of protecting this 300-year-old homestead by incorporating it into Minute 

Man National Historic Park. 

Save Our Heritage, Inc., a non-profit organization located in Concord, Massachusetts, purchased 3.5 acres of land surrounding the 

historic Barrett farmhouse in 2003 and the farmhouse itself in 

2005. The organization supports H.R. 394 and is willing to transfer 

ownership of the property and farm to the National Park Service. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

H.R. 394 was introduced by Representative Meehan on January 

26, 2005 and passed by the House of Representatives, on a voice 

vote, on November 16, 2005. 

An identical bill, S. 2034, was introduced by Senators Kennedy 

and Kerry on November 17, 2005. The Subcommittee on National 

Parks held a hearing on both S. 2034 and H.R. 394 on April 6, 

2006. At the business meeting on May 24, 2006, the Committee on 

Energy and Natural Resources ordered H.R. 394 favorably reported. 

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, in open business session on May 24, 2006, by a unanimous voice vote of a 

quorum present, recommends that the Senate pass H.R. 394. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1(a) defines the terms ‘‘Barrett’s Farm’’ and ‘‘Secretary’’, 

as used in this Act. 

Subsection (b) requires the Secretary of the Interior, not later 

than two years after funds are made available, to study the suitability and feasibility of adding Colonel James Barrett Farm to 

Minute Man National Historic Park. 

Subsection (c) describes the required contents of the study. 

Subsection (d) requires the Secretary to report study findings to 

the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the 

House Committee on Resources. 

COST AND BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS

The following estimate of the cost of this measure has been provided by the Congressional Budget Office: 


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H.R. 394—An act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct 

a boundary study to evaluate the significance of the Colonel 

James Barrett Farm in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 

and the suitability and feasibility of its inclusion in the National Park System as part of the Minute Man National Historical Park, and for other purposes 

H.R. 394 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to study, 

within two years, the suitability and feasibility of adding the Colonel James Barrett Farm to the Minute Man National Historical 

Park in Massachusetts. The proposed study would consider the significance of the farm during the Revolutionary War, opportunities 

for public enjoyment, and other operational and management 

issues. 

Based on information from the National Park Service, CBO estimates that completing the proposed study would cost less than 

$100,000 over the 2006–2007 period, assuming the availability of 

appropriated funds. Enacting H.R. 394 would not affect direct 

spending or revenues. 

H.R. 394 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. 

On May 24, 2005, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 394, 

as ordered reported by the House Committee on Resources on May 

18, 2005. The House and Senate versions of this legislation are 

identical, as are the two cost estimates. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Matthew Pickford. 

This estimate was approved by Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT EVALUATION

In compliance with paragraph 11(b) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee makes the following evaluation 

of the regulatory impact which would be incurred in carrying out 

H.R. 394. The bill is not a regulatory measure in the sense of imposing Government-established standards or significant economic 

responsibilities on private individuals and businesses. 

No personal information would be collected in administering the 

program. Therefore, there would be no impact on personal privacy. 

Little, if any, additional paperwork would result from the enactment of H.R. 394, as ordered reported. 

EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

The views of the Administration on H.R. 394 were included in 

testimony received by the Committee at a hearing on the bill on 

April 6, 2006. This testimony follows: 

STATEMENT OF SUE MASICA, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, 

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear 

before your committee to present the views of the Department of the Interior on S. 2034 and H.R. 394, to authorize 

the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to evaluate 

the significance of the Colonel James Barrett Farm in the 

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and to assess the suitVerDate Aug 31 2005 04:33 Aug 02, 2006 Jkt 049010 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6969 E:\HR\OC\SR311.XXX SR311

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ability and feasibility of including the farm in the National 

Park System as part of the Minute Man National Historical Park, and for other purposes. The Department supports the enactment of this bill. 

If enacted, the bill would direct the Secretary to conduct 

a boundary study to evaluate the significance of Barrett’s 

Farm, and to assess the suitability and feasibility of including the Farm as part of the Minute Man National Historical Park, a unit of the National Park System. The 

study, which is to be completed within two years after 

funds are made available for it, is to include an analysis 

of Barrett’s Farm’s significance with respect to the Revolutionary War. It must also analyze opportunities for public 

enjoyment of the property as part of Minute Man National 

Historical Park, and any operational, management, and 

private property issues that must be considered if the farm 

is added to the park. In addition, the study must include 

a determination by the Secretary of the feasibility of administering the farm as part of the Minute Man National 

Historical Park, taking into account its size, configuration, 

costs and any other appropriate factors, as well as an evaluation of other alternatives for management and resource 

protection of the property. 

The Colonel James Barrett Farm is located at 448 

Barrett’s Mill Road, Concord, Massachusetts, two miles 

from the town center and from Minute Man National Historical Park. The Barrett House was the home of Colonel 

James Barrett (1710–1779), commander of Middlesex 

County militia and one of the leading figures in the events 

that began the American Revolution in April, 1775. The 

property comprises six acres and includes land that has 

been farmed continuously since the 18th century as well as 

the historic 1705 farm house. Much of the surrounding 

acreage is owned by the Town of Concord and managed as 

agricultural conservation land. 

The proposed study area of six acres is coterminous with 

the property listed on the National Register of Historic 

Places and includes abutting properties that once were 

part of the original farm. In addition, the National Park 

Service recommends that approximately 40 acres of the 

town-owned lands which directly abut the farm (and which 

were once part of the original farm) also be included in the 

study area. Inclusion of these lands in the study area 

would allow the NPS to explore the options for increased 

collaboration with the town and for ways to support longterm management should Barrett’s Farm be acquired and 

managed by the National Park Service in the future. The 

Town of Concord has expressed its support for inclusion of 

these resources in the study. 

Colonel Barrett’s Farm was a major hiding place for the 

colonists’ stores of arms and ammunition. It was the farthest point that was targeted by the British expeditionary 

force sent from Boston to seize these weapons. The British 

troops headed there on April 19, 1775 but found nothing, 

the residents having been alerted by Paul Revere several 


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days earlier, in time to hide muskets, cannons and powder 

in the nearby fields. On that same day, Colonel Barrett ordered the advance to Concord’s North Bridge that resulted 

in ‘‘the shot heard ’round the world’’ and the start of the 

Revolutionary War. 

Minute Man National Historical Park encompasses 971 

acres and includes the North Bridge, Lexington Green and 

the Battle Road trail, where the British both advanced and 

retreated. Including Barrett’s Farm within the boundaries 

of Minute Man National Historical Park appears to offer 

many opportunities for resource preservation and interpretation. Barrett’s Farm was the impetus for the British excursion to Concord on April 18, 1775 and the vigorous 

work of Colonel Barrett and his militia was the key reason 

for the British retreat following the encounter at the North 

Bridge. 

The farm was considered for inclusion when Minute Man 

National Historical Park was established in 1959, but was 

at that time in private ownership and not available for acquisition. It has since been purchased by Save Our Heritage, a local nonprofit organization, which seeks to preserve 

it. The group has been working closely with the Town of 

Concord and has raised $2 million to acquire and stabilize 

the property. 

We believe that this study would allow the Secretary to 

explore further the feasibility of adding this important historical property to the National Park System. 

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to comment. This concludes my prepared remarks and I will be 

happy to answer any questions you or other committee 

members might have. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee notes that no changes in existing law are made by the Act H.R. 394, as ordered reported. 

Æ 


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