New Philadelphia National Historical Park Act

To establish the New Philadelphia National Historical Park in the State of Illinois as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the New Philadelphia National Historical Park Act 2. Findings Congress finds that— (1) Frank McWorter, an enslaved man, bought his freedom and the freedom of 15 family members by— (A) mining for crude niter in Kentucky caves and processing the mined material into saltpeter; (B) hiring his time to other settlers; and (C) selling lots in New Philadelphia, which was— (i) the town founded by Frank McWorter; and (ii) the first town planned and legally registered by a free African American before the Civil War; (2) the first railroad constructed in the area of New Philadelphia bypassed New Philadelphia, which led to the decline of New Philadelphia; and (3) the site of New Philadelphia is a registered National Historic Landmark. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Park The term Park (2) Secretary The term Secretary (3) State The term State 4. Establishment of New Philadelphia National Historical Park (a) Establishment There is established in the State as a unit of the National Park System the New Philadelphia National Historical Park. (b) Purposes The purposes of the Park are— (1) to protect, preserve, and interpret the many significant aspects of the Park; and (2) to the extent feasible, to coordinate preservation and interpretation activities with the State and other public and nonpublic entities through cooperative agreements entered into under section 5(c). (c) Boundary The Park shall consist of the approximately 124.33 acres of land within the boundary generally depicted as Legislative Boundary New Philadelphia National Historic Site Proposed Boundary 5. Administration (a) In general The Secretary shall administer land within the boundary of the Park in accordance with— (1) this Act; and (2) the laws generally applicable to units of the National Park System, including— (A) section 100101(a), chapter 1003, and sections 100751(a), 100752, 100753, and 102101 of title 54, United States Code; and (B) chapter 3201 (b) Management and operations The Lincoln Home National Historic Site shall be responsible for the management and operations of the Park. (c) Cooperative agreements The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with the State or other public and nonpublic entities under which the Secretary may identify, interpret, and provide assistance for the preservation of non-Federal land within the boundaries of the Park and at sites in close proximity to the Park but located outside the boundaries of the Park, including providing for— (1) the placement of directional and interpretive signage; (2) exhibits; and (3) technology-based interpretive devices. (d) Acquisition of land (1) In general Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary may acquire land and interests in land (including any buildings or structures) for inclusion in the Park by— (A) donation; (B) purchase with donated or appropriated funds; or (C) exchange. (2) Limitation Any land owned by the State or a political subdivision of the State may be acquired for inclusion in the Park only by donation. (e) Technical and preservation assistance The Secretary may provide public interpretation and technical assistance for the preservation of historic structures of, the maintenance of the cultural landscape of, and local preservation planning for, related historic and cultural resources within the boundaries of the Park. (f) Management plan Not later than 3 fiscal years after the date on which funds are first made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the State, shall complete a general management plan for the Park in accordance with— (1) section 100502 of title 54, United States Code; and (2) any other applicable laws.

Summary: New Philadelphia National Historical Park Act This bill establishes the New Philadelphia National Historical Park in Illinois as a unit of the National Park System. The purposes of the park are to protect, preserve, and interpret the historic resources associated with the town of New Philadelphia, the first town in the United States planned and legally registered by a free African American before the Civil War. The park shall consist of the approximately 124.33 acres of land within the boundary generally identified on the map titled New Philadelphia National Historic Site Proposed Boundary and dated July 2021.