§410z–1 Acquisition of Additional Sites

Summary

The Secretary must study several Boston sites to see if they should be part of the Boston National Historical Park. The sites to be studied are Boston Common; the Dillaway-Thomas House; the Thomas Crease House (old Corner Book Store); and the King’s Chapel, Granary, and Copp’s Hill burying grounds. The Secretary can make tentative deals with owners and take options to buy for a nominal amount, but Congress must pass a law to add any new properties to the park. The Secretary can also make cooperative agreements with the city of Boston, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, private groups, and the Boston Public Library to mark, restore, preserve, interpret, and give technical help for park sites. These agreements must allow National Park staff reasonable access to public parts for tours and interpretation, require mutual approval for changes, cannot restrict normal church use, and may spell out how the Park Service helps with restoration. The Secretary may also identify other colonial or Revolutionary sites nearby and, with owner permission, mark them and include them in park materials.