Volume 62 · 1061
Public Law 80–687
To provide for the establishment of the Independence National Historical Park, and for other purposes.
Approved June 28, 1948
Statutory text
AN ACT
To provide for the establishment of the Independence National Historical Park, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That, for the purpose of
Independence National Historical Park, Pa.
preserving for the benefit of the American people as a national historical park certain historical structures and properties of outstanding national significance located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and associated with the American Revolution and the founding and growth of the United States, the Secretary of the Interior, following the consummation of agreements with the city of Philadelphia and the Carpenters’ Company of Philadelphia as prescribed in section 2 of this Act, is authorized to acquire
Infra.
Acquisition of property.
by donation or with donated funds, or to acquire by purchase, any property, real or personal within the following-described areas, such park to be fully established as the “Independence National Historical Park” when, in the opinion of the Secretary, title to sufficient of the lands and interests in lands within such areas, shall be vested in the United States: Provided, That the park shall not be established until title to the First
Restriction
United States Bank property, the Merchants’ Exchange property, the Bishop White house, the Di1worth-Todd-Moylan house, and the site of the Benjamin Franklin house, together with two-thirds of the remaining lands and interests in lands within the following-described areas, shall have been vested in the United States:
An area of three city blocks bounded generally by Walnut Street, Fifth Street, Chestnut Street, and Second Street, but excluding the new
“Project A.”
United States customhouse at the southeast corner of Second and Chestnut Streets, identified as “project A”, as described in the report of the Philadelphia National Shrines Park Commission, dated December 29, 1947.
A memorial thoroughfare, or mall, extending generally from
“Project B.”
the south side of Walnut Street to the north side of Manning Street, identified as part of “project B” in the report of the Commission.
The site of the residence of Benjamin Franklin, and related grounds, comprising approximately a one-hundred-foot-wide strip, “Project C.” extending southward from Market Street approximately three hundred feet between Third and Fourth Streets, and encompassing a portion of Orianna Street, identified as
“project C.”
in the report of the Commission.
Certain land and buildings immediately adjacent to Christ Church, situated on the west side of Second Street, and north of Market Street, identified as “project E” in the report of the Commission: Provided, That
“Project E.”
the Secretary of the Interior first enter into an agreement with the proprietor or proprietors of said property (Christ Church), said agreement to contain the usual and customary provisions for the protection of the
Agreement with proprietors of Christ Church.
property, assuring its physical maintenance as a national shrine, without any limitation or control over its use for customary church purposes.
Sec. 2.
In furtherance of the general purposes of this Act as prescribed in section 1 hereof, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with the city of Philadelphia to assist in the preservation and interpretation of the property known as the Independence Hall National Historic Site and with the Carpenters’ Company of Philadelphia to assist in the preservation and interpretation of Carpenters’ Hall, in connection with the Independence
Cooperative agreements.
National Historical Park. Such agreements shall contain, but shall not be limited to, provisions that the Secretary of the Interior, through the National Park Service, shall have right of access at all reasonable times to all public portions of the property now within Independence Hall National Historic Site and to Carpenters’ Hall for the purpose of conducting visitors through such buildings and grounds and interpreting them to the public, that no changes or alterations shall be made in the property within the Independence Hall National Historic Site, including its buildings and grounds, or in Carpenters’ Hall, except by mutual agreement between the Secretary of the Interior and the other parties to the contracts
Sec. 3.
The Secretary of the Interior,
Construction of offices, etc.
in his discretion, is authorized to construct upon a portion of the land described in section 1 of this Act, or upon other land that may be donated for such purpose, which property he is hereby authorized to accept, such offices and administration buildings as he may deem advisable, together with a suitable auditorium for the interpretation of the historical features of the national historical park. The Secretary
Acceptance of donations
of the Interior is also authorized to accept donations of property of national historical significance located in the city of Philadelphia which the Secretary may deem proper for administration as part of the Independence National Historical Park. Any property donated for the purposes of this section shall become a part of the park, following its establishment, upon acceptance by the United States of title to such donated property.
Sec. 4.
The Secretary of the Interior is authorized,
Advisory commission
in his discretion, to establish a suitable advisory commission of not to exceed eleven members. The members of the advisory commission shall be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, with three members to be recommended by the Governor of Pennsylvania, three by the mayor of Philadelphia, and one each by the Carpenters’ Company of Philadelphia and the Independence Hall Association.
Functions.
The functions of the advisory commission shall be to render advice to the Secretary of the Interior, from time to time, upon matters which the Secretary of the Interior may refer to them for consideration.
Sec. 5.
The administration, protection, and development of the park shall be exercised under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior by the National Park Service, subject to the provisions of the Act of August 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 535; 16 U. S. C. 1–4), as amended and supplemented, and the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935 (49 Stat. 666; 16 U. S. C. 461–467).
Sec. 6.
For the purpose of acquiring the property described in section 1 of this Act,
Appropriation authorized.
there is hereby authorized to be appropriated not to exceed the sum of $4,435,000. Funds appropriated pursuant to this Act shall be available for any expenses incidental to acquisition of property as prescribed by this Act, including the employment of the necessary services in the District of Columbia, and including to the extent deemed necessary by the Secretary of the Interior, the employment without regard to the civil-service laws or the Classification Act of 1923, as amended, of such experts and other officers and employees as are necessary to carry
out the provisions of this Act efficiently and in the public interest.
Approved June 28, 1948.