I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1917 
To establish the Centennial Historic District in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 2, 2009 
Mr. FATTAH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To establish the Centennial Historic District in Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Centennial Historic 
District Authorization Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Centennial Historic District in the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was the site of an 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
00:02 Apr 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1917.IH
H1917
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
international exhibition to celebrate the Centennial 
of the United States in 1876. 
(2) On March 3, 1871, an Act of Congress cre-
ated the United States Centennial Commission and 
provided that an Exhibition of American and foreign 
arts, products, and manufactures be held in Phila-
delphia in 1876. 
(3) Held only 11 years after the end of the Civil 
War, the Centennial Exhibition was a both a na-
tional celebration of unity and a recognition by the 
world community that the United States was emerg-
ing as the leading nation in the world. 
(4) The Centennial Exhibition displayed 60,000 
exhibits from more than 28 countries around the 
world in 240 buildings and hosted nearly 10 million 
visitors, estimated to be nearly 25 percent of the 
population of the United States at the time. It was 
the first World’s Fair to be held in the United 
States. 
(5) The Exhibition became the center of cul-
tural, technological, economic and geopolitical devel-
opment in the United States by demonstrating 
groundbreaking innovations, including root beer, the 
telephone, kindergarten, the typewriter, the phono-
graph, and the monorail. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
00:02 Apr 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1917.IH
H1917
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
(6) More than 100 American companies who 
participated in the Centennial Exhibition are still in 
business today, including Bausch and Lomb, John 
Deere, Campbell’s, Heinz, and Wyeth. 
(7) The Centennial Historic District is located 
in Fairmount Park, which is listed on the National 
Register of Historic Places. 
(8) Memorial Hall, a centerpiece of the Centen-
nial celebration, is a National Historic Landmark 
and is being renovated to join other cultural institu-
tions as an anchor for the Centennial Historic Dis-
trict. 
(9) The Centennial Historic District will com-
memorate the historic significance of the Centennial 
celebration in our Nation’s history. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) HISTORIC
DISTRICT.—The term ‘‘historic 
district’’ means the Centennial Historic District es-
tablished by section 4. 
(2) MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The term ‘‘manage-
ment plan’’ means the management plan described 
in section 5(b). 
(3) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means— 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
00:02 Apr 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1917.IH
H1917
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
(A) the Secretary of the Interior; or 
(B) the head of any Federal agency to 
which funds are appropriated to carry out this 
Act. 
SEC. 4. CENTENNIAL HISTORIC DISTRICT. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Cen-
tennial Historic District in the city of Philadelphia, Penn-
sylvania. 
(b) BOUNDARIES.—The boundaries of the historic 
district shall be as depicted on the map titled ‘‘Fairmount 
Park’s Proposed Centennial Authorization Boundary’’, 
numbered A, and dated December 2007. The map shall 
be on file and available for public inspection in the appro-
priate offices of the National Park Service. 
SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION OF CENTENNIAL HISTORIC DIS-
TRICT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make grants 
to, and enter into cooperative agreements with, any State 
or local government agencies, any nonprofit entities des-
ignated by the Secretary to operate the historic district, 
or any leaseholders for— 
(1) the preparation of the management plan; 
and 
(2) the implementation of projects approved by 
the Secretary under the management plan. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
00:02 Apr 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1917.IH
H1917
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
(v) developing public parking areas in 
the historic district; 
(vi) improving pedestrian and vehic-
ular circulation in the historic district; and 
(vii) improving security in the historic 
district. 
(3) RESTORATION, MAINTENANCE, AND INTER-
PRETATION.— 
(A) 
COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS.—For 
projects recommended in the management plan, 
the Secretary may enter into cooperative agree-
ments with the city of Philadelphia, agents of 
the city, and designated partners to— 
(i) provide technical assistance with 
respect to the preservation and interpreta-
tion of properties within the historic dis-
trict; and 
(ii) mark, improve, restore, and pro-
vide interpretation of properties within the 
historic district. 
(B) CONTENTS.—A cooperative agreement 
under subparagraph (A) shall ensure that— 
(i) the Secretary has a right of access 
at reasonable times to public portions of 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
00:02 Apr 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1917.IH
H1917
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
the historic district for interpretive and 
other purposes; and 
(ii) no change or alteration shall be 
made in the property except with the 
agreement of the property owner, the Sec-
retary, and any Federal agency that may 
have regulatory jurisdiction over the prop-
erty. 
(c) CAPITAL PROJECTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, to the 
extent funds are available, make grants for capital 
improvements in the historic district. 
(2) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant 
under this subsection, an entity shall submit to the 
Secretary an application that includes information 
concerning how the proposed capital project will im-
prove the historic district. 
(3) 
CONSIDERATIONS.—In 
making 
grants 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall— 
(A) consider the cost and benefit of the 
proposed capital project; and 
(B) give priority to proposed capital 
projects— 
(i) providing gateways to, and signage 
for, the historic district; 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
00:02 Apr 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1917.IH
H1917
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
(ii) improving historical monuments in 
the historic district; 
(iii) maintaining public parks and 
spaces in the historic district; 
(iv) establishing a trail in the historic 
district; 
(v) maintaining and improving the 
lake in the historic district; 
(vi) improving the streetscape, includ-
ing lighting, of the Girard Gateway; 
(vii) improving pedestrian and vehic-
ular traffic circulation and parking at the 
western end of the Centennial Exhibition 
grounds; or 
(viii) restoring Memorial Hall. 
(4) MATCHING FUNDS.—To be eligible for a 
grant under this subsection, the recipient shall pro-
vide matching, non-Federal funds in an amount 
equal to not less than 20 percent of the total 
amount of the grant. 
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act $45,000,000 for fiscal years 2010 through 2014. 
Of the amount appropriated pursuant to this section, the 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
00:02 Apr 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1917.IH
H1917
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS
Secretary shall obligate not more than 12 percent for plan-
ning and technical assistance. 
Æ 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
00:02 Apr 08, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H1917.IH
H1917
rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with BILLS