I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 3712
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study
concerning the preservation and public use of sites in Auburn, New
York, associated with Harriet Tubman, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 29, 2000
Mr. HOUGHTON (for himself and Mrs. MEEK of Florida) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special
resource study concerning the preservation and public
use of sites in Auburn, New York, associated with Har-
riet Tubman, 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 ‘‘Harriet Tubman Spe-
cial Resource Study Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Harriet Tubman is an important figure in
American history and is most famous for her role as
a ‘‘conductor’’ on the Underground Railroad, in
which as a fugitive slave she helped hundreds of
enslaved individuals to escape to freedom before and
during the Civil War.
(2) During the Civil War, Harriet Tubman
served the Union Army as a guide, spy, and nurse.
After the Civil War, she was an advocate for the
education of black children.
(3) Harriet Tubman settled in Auburn, New
York, in 1857 and lived there until 1913. While in
Auburn, she dedicated her life to caring selflessly
and tirelessly for people who could not care for
themselves, was an influential member of the com-
munity and an active member of the Thompson Me-
morial A.M.E. Zion Church, and established a home
for the elderly.
(4) Harriet Tubman was a friend of William
Henry Seward, who was a Governor and Senator
from New York and President Abraham Lincoln’s
Secretary of State. William Henry Seward also lived
in Auburn, New York, and defied the Supreme
Court’s decision in Dred Scott (holding that African
Americans were not citizens of the United States) by
selling a house in Auburn to Harriet Tubman.
(5) Four sites in Auburn directly relate to Har-
riet Tubman and are listed in the National Register
of Historic Places, as follows:
(A) Harriet Tubman’s home.
(B) The Harriet Tubman Home for the
Aged.
(C) The Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion
Church.
(D) Harriet Tubman’s grave at Fort Hill
Cemetery.
(6) The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged
and William Henry Seward’s home in Auburn are
National Historic Landmarks.
SEC. 3. STUDY CONCERNING SITES IN AUBURN, NEW YORK,
ASSOCIATED WITH HARRIET TUBMAN AND
WILLIAM HENRY SEWARD.
(a) STUDY REQUIRED.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior shall conduct a special resource study of the national
significance, long-term preservation, and public use of the
following sites in Auburn, New York, associated with Har-
riet Tubman:
(1) Harriet Tubman’s home, located at 182
South Street.
(2) The Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged,
located at 180 South Street.
(3) The Thompson Memorial A.M.E. Zion
Church, located at 33 Parker Street.
(4) Harriet Tubman’s grave at Fort Hill Ceme-
tery, located at 19 Fort Street.
(5) William Henry Seward’s home, located at
33 South Street.
(b) POSSIBLE INCLUSION IN THE NATIONAL PARK
SYSTEM.—The study under subsection (a) shall include
the Secretary’s analysis and recommendations regarding
the suitability and feasibility of incorporating the sites into
the National Park System.
(c) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the study, the
Secretary shall consult with the Governor of the State of
New York, the Mayor of the City of Auburn, New York,
the owners of the sites listed in subsection (a), and the
appropriate representatives of the Thompson Memorial
A.M.E. Zion Church and the Harriet Tubman Founda-
tion.
(d) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date
on which funds are made available for the study, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Congress a report describing
the results of the study.
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