I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4736
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of Coltsville
in the State of Connecticut for potential inclusion in the National Park
System, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 15, 2002
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study
of Coltsville in the State of Connecticut for potential
inclusion in the National Park System, 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 ‘‘Coltsville Study Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Hartford, Connecticut, home to Colt Manu-
facturing Company (referred to in this Act as
‘‘Colt’’), played a major role in the Industrial Revo-
lution.
(2) Samuel Colt, founder of Colt, and his wife,
Elizabeth Colt, inspired Coltsville, a community in
the State of Connecticut that flourished during the
Industrial Revolution and included Victorian man-
sions, an open green area, botanical gardens, and a
deer park.
(3) The residence of Samuel and Elizabeth Colt
in Hartford, Connecticut, known as ‘‘Armsmear’’, is
a national historic landmark, and the distinctive Colt
factory is a prominent feature of the Hartford, Con-
necticut, skyline.
(4) The Colt legacy is not only about firearms,
but also about industrial innovation and the develop-
ment of technology that would change the way of life
in the United States. Samuel Colt worked with Sam-
uel Morse in the development of the telegraph. Colt
contributed to the development of technology in
many ways, including as a training ground for jet
engine pioneers Francis Pratt and Amos Whitney,
who served as apprentices at Colt.
(5) The influence of Colt extended beyond the
United States when Samuel Colt was the first resi-
dent of the United States to open a manufacturing
plant overseas.
(6) Coltsville set the standard for excellence
during the Industrial Revolution and continues to
prove significant—
(A) as a place in which people of the
United States can learn about that important
period in history; and
(B) by reason of the close proximity of
Coltsville to the Mark Twain House, Trinity
College, Old North Cemetery, and many historic
homesteads and architecturally renowned build-
ings.
(7) In 1998, the National Park Service con-
ducted a special resource reconnaissance study of
the Connecticut River Valley to evaluate the signifi-
cance of precision manufacturing sites.
(8) The report on the study stated that—
(A) no other region of the United States
contains an equal concentration of resources re-
lating to the precision manufacturing theme
that began with firearms production;
(B) properties relating to precision manu-
facturing encompass more than merely fac-
tories; and
(C) further study, which should be under-
taken, may recommend inclusion of churches
and other social institutions.
SEC. 3. STUDY.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the
date on which funds are made available to carry out this
Act, the Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this Act
as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall complete a study of the site in
the State of Connecticut commonly known as ‘‘Coltsville’’
to evaluate—
(1) the national significance of the site and sur-
rounding area;
(2) the suitability and feasibility of designating
the site and surrounding area as a unit of the Na-
tional Park System; and
(3) the importance of the site with respect to its
role in the history of precision manufacturing.
(b) APPLICABLE LAW.—The study required under
subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with Pub-
lic Law 91–383 (16 U.S.C. 1a–1 et seq.).
SEC. 4. REPORT.
Not later than 30 days after the date on which the
study under section 3(a) is completed, the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Nat-
ural Resources of the Senate a report that describes—
(1) the findings of the study; and
(2) any conclusions and recommendations of the
Secretary regarding those findings.
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