I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1958
To establish the Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 26, 1999
Mr. ENGLISH (for himself, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania, Mr. SOUDER, Mr.
TRAFICANT, Mr. WELLER, and Mr. HOLDEN) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Resources
A BILL
To establish the Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site
in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FORT PRESQUE ISLE NATIONAL HISTORIC
SITE, PENNSYLVANIA.
(a) FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.—
(1) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the fol-
lowing:
(A) Fort Presque Isle was a frontier out-
post located on Garrison Hill in the area of
present-day Erie, Pennsylvania, which was the
site of the American installations built in 1795
and 1796 and in the War of 1812.
(B) General Anthony Wayne was a Revolu-
tionary War hero who served under General
George Washington and, at one point, was com-
manding general of the United States Army.
He first arrived in the area of Presque Isle in
1786.
(C) Legend has it that General Wayne was
nicknamed ‘‘Mad’’ by his troops, not for being
rash or foolish, but for his leadership and brav-
ery on and off the battlefield.
(D) The original blockhouse of Fort
Presque Isle was built in 1795 by 200 Federal
troops from General Wayne’s army, under the
direction of Captain John Grubb. It was the
first blockhouse used as part of a defensive sys-
tem established to counter Native American
uprisings. It was also used during the War of
1812.
(E) General Wayne was stricken ill at Fort
Presque Isle and died there in 1796. At his re-
quest, his body was buried under the flagpole of
the northwest blockhouse of the fort.
(F) The original blockhouse of Fort
Presque Isle burned in 1852, and the existing
structure was built by the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania in 1880 as a memorial to General
Wayne.
(G) The Pennsylvania Historical and Mu-
seum Commission has recognized the recon-
structed blockhouse as eligible for placement on
the National Register of Historic Places.
(2) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section
are the following:
(A) To provide for reconstruction of the
frontier fort at Presque Isle for the benefit, in-
spiration, and education of the people of the
United States.
(B) To preserve the original grave site of
General ‘‘Mad’’ Anthony Wayne at Fort
Presque Isle.
(C) To broaden understanding of the his-
torical significance of Fort Presque Isle.
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) HISTORIC SITE.—The term ‘‘historic site’’
means the Fort Presque Isle National Historic Site
established by subsection (c).
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of the Interior.
(c) ESTABLISHMENT OF FORT PRESQUE ISLE NA-
TIONAL HISTORIC SITE.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established as
a unit of the National Park System the Fort
Presque Isle National Historic Site in Erie, Pennsyl-
vania.
(2) DESCRIPTION.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—The historic site shall
consist of land and improvements comprising
the historic location of Fort Presque Isle, in-
cluding the existing blockhouse replica at that
location, as depicted on a map entitled
‘‘llll’’, numbered llll and dated
llll, comprising approximately llll
acres.
(B) MAP AND BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION.—
The map referred to in subparagraph (A) and
accompanying boundary description shall be on
file and available for public inspection in the of-
fice of the Director of the National Park Serv-
ice and any other office of the National Park
Service that the Secretary determines to be an
appropriate location for filing the map and
boundary description.
(d) ADMINISTRATION OF THE HISTORIC SITE.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall admin-
ister the historic site in accordance with this section
and the provisions of law generally applicable to
units of the National Park System, including the Act
of August 25, 1916 (commonly known as the Na-
tional Park Service Organic Act; 16 U.S.C. 1 et
seq.), and the Act of August 21, 1935 (commonly
known as the Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiq-
uities Act; 16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.).
(2) COOPERATIVE
AGREEMENTS.—To further
the purposes of this section, the Secretary may enter
into a cooperative agreement with any interested in-
dividual, public or private agency, organization, or
institution.
(3) TECHNICAL
AND
PRESERVATION
ASSIST-
ANCE.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may
provide to any eligible person described in sub-
paragraph (B) technical assistance for the pres-
ervation of historic structures of, the mainte-
nance of the cultural landscape of, and local
preservation planning for, the historic site.
(B) ELIGIBLE PERSONS.—The eligible per-
sons described in this subparagraph are—
(i) an owner of real property within
the boundary of the historic site, as de-
scribed in subsection (c)(2); and
(ii) any interested individual, agency,
organization, or institution that has en-
tered into an agreement with the Secretary
pursuant to paragraph (2) of this sub-
section.
(e) ACQUISITION
OF REAL PROPERTY—The Sec-
retary may acquire by donation, exchange, or purchase
with funds made available by donation or appropriation,
such lands or interests in lands as may be necessary to
allow for the interpretation, preservation, or restoration
of the historic site.
(f) GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the last day
of the third full fiscal year beginning after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, in con-
sultation with the officials described in paragraph
(2), prepare a general management plan for the his-
toric site.
(2) CONSULTATION.—In preparing the general
management plan, the Secretary shall consult with
an appropriate official of each appropriate political
subdivisions of the State of Pennsylvania that have
jurisdiction over all or a portion of the historic site.
(3) SUBMISSION
OF
PLAN
TO
CONGRESS.—
Upon the completion of the general management
plan, the Secretary shall submit a copy of the plan
to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of
the House of Representatives.
Æ