16 U.S.C. § 410eee: Findings and purposes

Summary

Creates the Adams National Historical Park in Quincy, Massachusetts. It brings together the Adams family home, nearby property, the birthplaces of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, and the United First Parish Church where family members are buried. Beginning in 1946 the Interior Department set up the site, it was enlarged in 1952, Congress approved adding about 3.68 acres in 1972, and in 1978 and 1980 Congress allowed the Secretary to accept the birthplaces and the church. Those steps produced a multi-site unit that did not have a single authorizing law. The park must preserve, care for, and explain the Adams homes, birthplaces, burial site, and related family history in Quincy for the benefit, education, and inspiration of present and future Americans.

Title 16, §410eee

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Findings

Congress finds that—

(1)in 1946, Secretary of the Interior J.A. Krug, by means of the authority granted the Secretary of the Interior under section 1866(a) of title 18 and section 320102 of title 54, established the Adams Mansion National Historic Site, located in Quincy, Massachusetts;

(2)in 1952, Acting Secretary of the Interior Vernon D. Northrup enlarged the site and renamed it the Adams National Historic Site, using the Secretary’s authority as provided in the Historic Sites Act;

(3)in 1972, Congress, through Public Law 92–272, authorized the Secretary of the Interior to add approximately 3.68 acres at Adams National Historic Site;

(4)in 1978, Congress, through Public Law 95–625, authorized the Secretary of the Interior to accept by conveyance the birthplaces of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, both in Quincy, Massachusetts, to be managed as part of the Adams National Historic Site;

(5)in 1980, Congress, through Public Law 96–435, authorized the Secretary of the Interior to accept the conveyance of the United First Parish Church in Quincy, Massachusetts, the burial place of John Adams, Abigail Adams, and John Quincy Adams and his wife, to be administered as part of the Adams National Historic Site;

(6)the actions taken by past Secretaries of the Interior and past Congresses to preserve for the benefit, education and inspiration of present and future generations of Americans the home, property, birthplaces and burial site of John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Abigail Adams, have resulted in a multi-site unit of the National Park System with no overarching enabling or authorizing legislation; and

(7)that the sites and resources associated with John Adams, second President of the United States, his wife Abigail Adams, and John Quincy Adams, sixth President of the United States, require recognition as a national historical park in the National Park System.

(b)Purpose

The purpose of this subchapter is to establish the Adams National Historical Park in the City of Quincy, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, to preserve, maintain and interpret the home, property, birthplaces, and burial site of John Adams and his wife Abigail, John Quincy Adams, and subsequent generations of the Adams family associated with the Adams property in Quincy, Massachusetts, for the benefit, education and inspiration of present and future generations of Americans.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Historic Sites Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), is act Aug. 21, 1935, ch. 593, 49 Stat. 666, also known as the Historic Sites Act of 1935 and as the Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act, which enacted sections 461 to 467 of this title. The Act was repealed and restated as section 1866(a) of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure, and section 102303 and 102304 and chapter 3201 of Title 54, National Park Service and Related Programs, by Pub. L. 113–287, §§ 3, 4(a)(1), 7, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3094, 3260, 3272. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. For disposition of former sections of this title, see Disposition Table preceding section 100101 of Title 54. Public Law 92–272, referred to in subsec. (a)(3), is Pub. L. 92–272, Apr. 11, 1972, 86 Stat. 120. Provisions of Pub. L. 92–272 relating to Adams National Historic Site appear at 86 Stat. 121 and are not classified to the Code. Public Law 95–625, referred to in subsec. (a)(4), is Pub. L. 95–625, Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3467. Provisions of Pub. L. 95–625 relating to Adams National Historic Site appear at 92 Stat. 3479 and are not classified to the Code. Public Law 96–435, referred to in subsec. (a)(5), is Pub. L. 96–435, Oct. 10, 1980, 94 Stat. 1861, which is not classified to the Code. Codification In subsec. (a)(1), “section 1866(a) of title 18 and section 320102 of title 54” substituted for “section 2 of the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935” on authority of Pub. L. 113–287, § 6(e), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3272, which Act enacted Title 54, National Park Service and Related Programs.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 105–342, § 1, Nov. 2, 1998, 112 Stat. 3200, provided that: “This Act [enacting this subchapter] may be cited as the ‘Adams National Historical Park Act of 1998’.”

§410eee Findings and Purposes