16 U.S.C. § 407o — Construction of buildings; acceptance of donations
submitted 78 years ago by ch. 687 to r/title-16-CONSERVATION · 287 words · no verdicts yet
The Secretary of the Interior can build offices and an auditorium on park land, and accept donations of historically significant Philadelphia property to add to the park. The Secretary can also let the American Philosophical Society build a library building in the park, at no cost to the government, as long as the Secretary approves the building's design.
This section lets the Secretary build facilities and accept property donations for the park.
The Secretary of the Interior may build offices and administration buildings, plus an auditorium for interpreting the park's history, on land described in section 407m or on other donated land the Secretary is allowed to accept.
The Secretary may also accept donations of historically significant property located in Philadelphia, to be administered as part of Independence National Historical Park. Once the park is established, any property donated for this purpose becomes part of it, once the United States accepts title.
Separately, the Secretary may let the American Philosophical Society — a nonprofit — build, operate, and maintain a building in the park, at no cost to the government, on roughly the original site of historic Library Hall. This building would house the Society's library and any future additions to it, along with its scientific and historical collections. This permission comes through a lease, contract, or authorization, with no charge, on terms the Secretary approves and the Society accepts, lasting as long as the Society keeps using the building for its library and collections. The Secretary of the Interior must approve the building's construction plans, and any later additions to it.
The Secretary of the Interior, in his discretion, is authorized to construct upon a portion of the land described in section 407m of this title, or upon other land that may be donated for such purpose, which property he is 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 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. The Secretary of the Interior is authorized to permit the American Philosophical Society, a nonprofit corporation, without cost to the United States, to construct, operate, and maintain in the park a building to be located on approximately the original site of historic Library Hall to house the library of the American Philosophical Society and any additions to said library, such permission to be granted the society pursuant to a lease, contract, or authorization without charge, on such terms and conditions as may be approved by the Secretary and accepted by the society, and for such length of time as the society shall continue to use the said building for the housing, display, and use of a library and scientific and historical collections: Provided, That the plans for the construction of the building and any additions thereto shall be approved by the Secretary of the Interior.
Source credit: (June 28, 1948, ch. 687, § 3, 62 Stat. 1062; July 10, 1952, ch. 653, § 2, 66 Stat. 575.)
- 1948Enacted · Act of June 28, 1948, ch. 687 · 62 Stat. 1062
- 1952Amended · Act of July 10, 1952, ch. 653 · 66 Stat. 575
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by ch. 687 on 1948-06-28.
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