Chap. 447. - An Act To provide for the commemoration of the Battle of Monocacy, Maryland.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That for the purpose of commemorating the Battle of Monocacy, Maryland, the Secretary of War is authorized and directed to (1) acquire not to exceed one acre of land, free of cost to the United States, at the above-named battle field, (2) fence the parcel of land so acquired, (3) build an approach to such parcel of land, and (4) erect a suitable marker on such parcel of land.
Sec. 2. There is authorized to be appropriated the sum of $5,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, to carry out the provisions of section 1 of this Act.
Sec. 3. The parcel of land acquired under section 1 of this Act shall be under the jurisdiction and control of the Secretary of War, and there is authorized to be appropriated for the maintenance of such parcel of land, fence, approach, and marker a sum not to exceed $250 per annum.
Approved, March 1, 1929.
Watercolor Painting Illustrating the Proposal for the Development of Monocacy Battlefield Near Frederick, Maryland.
NPS
73d CONGRESS. SESS. II.CHS. 692-694. JUNE 21,1934
To establish a national military park at the battlefield of Monocacy, Maryland.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Monocacy National United States of America in Congress assembled, That in order to commemorate the Battle of Monocacy, Maryland, and to preserve for historical purposes the breastworks, earthworks, walls, or other defenses or shelters used by the armies therein, the battlefield at Monocacy, in the State of Maryland, is hereby declared a national military park to be known as the "Monocacy National Military Park", whenever the title to the lands deemed necessary by the Secretary of the Interior shall have been acquired by the United States and the usual jurisdiction over the lands and roads of the same shall have been granted to the United States by the State of Maryland.
SEC. 2. The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to cause condemnation proceedings to be instituted in the name of the United States under the provisions of the Act of August 1, 1888, entitled "An Act to authorize condemnation of lands for sites for public buildings and for other purposes " (25 Stat.L. 357), to acquire title to the lands, interests therein, or rights pertaining thereto within the said Monocacy National Military Park, and the United States shall be entitled to immediate possession upon the filing of the petition in condemnation in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland: Provided, That when the owner of such lands, interests therein, or rights pertaining thereto shall fix a price for the same, which, in the opinion of the Secretary of the Interior, shall be reasonable, the Secretary may purchase the same without further delay: Provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to accept, on behalf of the United States, donations of lands, interests therein, or rights pertaining thereto required for the Monocacy National Military Park: And provided further, that title and evidence of title to lands and interests therein acquired for said park shall be satisfactory to the Secretary of the Interior.
SEC. 3. The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized to enter into leases with the owners of such of the lands, works, defenses, and buildings thereon within the Monocacy National Military Park, as in his discretion it is unnecessary to forthwith acquire title to, and such leases shall be on such terms and conditions as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe, and may contain options to purchase, subject to later acceptance, if, in the judgment of the Secretary of the Interior, it is as economical to purchase as condemn title to the property: Provided, That the Secretary of the Interior may enter into agreements upon such nominal terms as he may prescribe, permitting the present owners or their tenants to occupy or cultivate their present holdings, upon condition that they will preserve the present breastworks, earthworks, walls, defenses, shelters, buildings and roads, and the present outlines of the battlefields, and that they will only cut trees or underbrush or disturb or remove the soil, under such regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe, and that they will assist in protecting all tablets, monuments, or such other artificial works as may from time to time be erected by proper authority. SEC. 4. The affairs of the Monocacy National Military Park shall, subject to the supervision and direction of the Office of National Parks, Buildings, and Reservations of the Interior Department, be in charge of a superintendent, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior.
SEC. 5. It shall be the duty of the superintendent, under the direction of the Office of National Parks, Buildings, and Reservations of the Interior Department, to superintend the opening or repair of such roads as may be necessary to the purposes of the park, and to ascertain and mark with historical tablets or otherwise, as the Secretary of the Interior may determine, all breastworks, earthworks, walls, or other defenses or shelters, lines of battle, location of troops, buildings, and other historical points of interest within the park or in its vicinity.
SEC. 6. The said Office of National Parks, Buildings, and Reservations, acting through the Secretary of the Interior, is authorized to receive gifts and contributions from States, Territories, societies, organizations, and individuals for the Monocacy National Military Park: Provided, That all contributions of money received shall be deposited Treasury of the United States and credited to a fund to be designated "Monocacy National Military Park fund", which fund shall be applied to and expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, for carrying out the provisions of this Act.
SEC. 7. It shall be lawful for the authorities of any State having had troops at the Battle of Monocacy to enter upon the lands and approaches of the Monocacy National Military Park for the purpose of ascertaining and marking the line of battle of troops engaged therein: Provided, That before any such lines are permanently designated the position of the lines and the proposed methods of marking them by monuments, tablets, or otherwise, including the design and inscription for the same, shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Interior and shall first receive written approval of the Secretary, which approval shall be based upon formal written reports to be made to him in each case by the Office of National Parks, Buildings, and Reservations: Provided, That no discrimination shall be made against any State as to the manner of designating lines, but any grant made to any State by the Secretary of the Interior may be used by any other State.
SEC. 8. If any person shall, except by permission of the Secretary of the Interior, destroy, mutilate, deface, injure, or remove any monument, column, statue, memorial structure, or work of art that shall be erected or placed upon the grounds of the park by lawful authority, or shall destroy or remove any fence, railing, enclosure, or other work for the protection or ornament of said park, or any portion thereof, or shall destroy, cut, hack, bark, break down, or otherwise injure any tree, bush, or shrubbery that may be growing upon said park, or shall cut down or fell or remove any timber, battle relic, tree or trees growing or being upon said park, or hunt within the limits of the park, or shall remove or destroy any breastworks, earthworks, walls, or other defenses or shelter or any part thereof constructed by the armies formerly engaged in the battles on the lands or approaches to the park, any person so offending and found guilty thereof, before any United States commissioner or court, of the jurisdiction in which the offense may be committed, shall for each and every such offense forfeit and pay a fine, in the discretion of the United States commissioner or court, according to the aggravation of the offense, of not less than $5 nor more than $500.
SEC. 9. The Secretary of the Interior shall have the power to make all needful rules and regulations for the care of the park, and for the establishment and marking of lines of battle and other historical features of the park.
SEC. 10. For the purposes of carrying out the provisions of this Act, the sum of $50,000 is hereby authorized to be appropriated out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated. Approved, June 21, 1934
Public Law 96-607 - DEC. 28, 1980
MONOCACY NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD
Sec. 140. (a) The Act entitled "An Act to establish a National Military Park at the battlefield of Monocacy, Maryland" approved June 21, 1934 (48 Stat. 1198) is amended by revising the first section thereof to read as follows: "That in order to commemorate the Battle of Monocacy, Maryland, and to preserve for historical purposes the breastworks, earthworks, walls, or other defenses or shelters used by the armies therein, the battlefield at Monocacy in the State of Maryland is hereby established as the Monocacy National Battlefield. The battlefield shall comprise the area within the boundary generally depicted on the map entitled "Monocacy National Battlefield', numbered 894/40,001A, and dated April 1980, which shall be on file and available for public inspection in the office of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.".
(b) In addition to the other funds available for purposed of the park referred to in subsection (a), there is authorized to be appropriated up to an additional $725,000 for acquisition of lands and interests in lands and $1,250,000 for development.
