II 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1184 

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 23, 2007 

Mr. KENNEDY (for himself and Mr. KERRY) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

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. 

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, Massachu5 setts Special Resources Study Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

2 

•S 1184 IS

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

2 home to 9 distinct historic districts, with nearly 100 

3 properties on the National Register of Historic 

4 Places. Included among these districts are the 

5 Church Green Historic District, the Bristol County 

6 Courthouse Complex, the Taunton Green Historic 

7 District, and the Reed and Barton Historic District. 

8 (2) All of these districts include buildings and 

9 building facades of great historical, cultural, and ar10 chitectural value. 

11 (3) Taunton Green is the site where the Sons 

12 of Liberty first raised the Liberty and Union Flag 

13 in 1774, an event that helped to spark a popular 

14 movement, culminating in the American Revolution, 

15 and Taunton citizens have been among the first to 

16 volunteer for America’s subsequent wars. 

17 (4) Robert Treat Paine, a citizen of Taunton 

18 and the first Attorney General of Massachusetts, 

19 was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. 

20 (5) Taunton was a leading community in the 

21 Industrial Revolution, and its industrial area has 

22 been the site of many innovations in such industries 

23 as silver manufacture, paper manufacture, and ship 

24 building. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

3 

•S 1184 IS

1 (6) The grounds of the Bristol County Court2 house Complex were designed by Frederick Law 

3 Olmsted, who also designed many other important 

4 national sites. 

5 (7) Main Street and Summer Street, which con6 nect many of the historic districts, are home to sev7 eral historically and architecturally significant struc8 tures, including Taunton City Hall and the Leonard 

9 Block building, 2 outstanding examples of 19th Cen10 tury American architecture. 

11 (8) The city and people of Taunton have pre12 served many artifacts, gravesites, and important 

13 documents dating back to 1638 when Taunton was 

14 founded. 

15 (9) Taunton was and continues to be an impor16 tant destination for immigrants from Europe and 

17 other parts of the world who have helped to give 

18 Southeastern Massachusetts its unique ethnic char19 acter. 

20 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

21 In this Act: 

22 (1) CITY.—The term ‘‘city’’ means the city of 

23 Taunton, Massachusetts. 

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

25 the Secretary of the Interior. 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

4 

•S 1184 IS

1 (3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

2 of Massachusetts. 

3 SEC. 4. STUDY. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 

5 with appropriate State historic preservation officers, State 

6 historical societies, the city, and other appropriate organi7 zations, shall conduct a special resources study regarding 

8 the suitability and feasibility of designating certain his9 toric buildings and areas in the city as a unit of the Na10 tional Park System. 

11 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—The study required under sub12 section (a) shall— 

13 (1) be conducted and completed in accordance 

14 with section 8(c) of Public Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 

15 la–5(c)); and 

16 (2) include analysis, documentation, and deter17 minations regarding whether the historic areas in 

18 Taunton— 

19 (A) can be managed, curated, interpreted, 

20 restored, preserved, and presented as an or21 ganic whole under management— 

22 (i) by the National Park Service; or 

23 (ii) under an alternative management 

24 structure; 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

5 

•S 1184 IS

1 (B) have an assemblage of cultural, his2 toric, and natural resources that together rep3 resent distinctive aspects of the heritage of the 

4 United States worthy of recognition, conserva5 tion, interpretation, and continuing use; 

6 (C) reflect traditions, customs, beliefs, and 

7 historical events that are valuable parts of the 

8 national story; 

9 (D) provide outstanding— 

10 (i) opportunities to conserve architec11 tural, cultural, historical, natural, or scenic 

12 features; and 

13 (ii) recreational and educational op14 portunities; and 

15 (E) can be managed by the National Park 

16 Service, in partnership with residents, business 

17 interests, nonprofit organizations, and State 

18 and local governments, to develop a unit of the 

19 National Park System consistent with State 

20 and local economic activity. 

21 SEC. 5. REPORT. 

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

23 funds are first made available to carry out this Act, the 

24 Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Re25 sources of the House of Representatives and the Commstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

6 

•S 1184 IS

1 mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 

2 a report that— 

3 (1) describes the findings, conclusions, and rec4 ommendations of the study; and 

5 (2) includes a discussion and consideration of 

6 the concerns expressed by private landowners with 

7 respect to designating certain structures studied 

8 under this Act as a unit of the National Park Sys9 tem. 

Æ 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS