[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 157 (Monday, October 2, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H7642-H7643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1715
        SAINT-GAUDENS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK REDESIGNATION ACT

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 965) to redesignate the Saint-Gaudens 
National Historic Site as the ``Saint-Gaudens National Historical 
Park'', and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 965

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Saint-Gaudens National 
     Historical Park Redesignation Act''.

     SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF SAINT-GAUDENS NATIONAL HISTORICAL 
                   PARK.

       (a) In General.--The Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site 
     shall be known and designated as the ``Saint-Gaudens National 
     Historical Park''.
       (b) Amendments to Public Law 88-543.--Public Law 88-543 (78 
     Stat.749) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``National Historic Site'' each place it 
     appears and inserting ``National Historical Park'';
       (2) in section 2(a), by striking ``historic site'' and 
     inserting ``Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park'';
       (3) in section 3, by--
       (A) striking ``national historical site'' and inserting 
     ``Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park''; and
       (B) striking ``part of the site'' and inserting ``part of 
     the park''; and
       (4) in section 4(b), by striking ``traditional to the 
     site'' and inserting ``traditional to the park''.
       (c) References.--Any reference in any law, regulation, 
     document, record, map, or other paper of the United States to 
     the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site shall be considered 
     to be a reference to the ``Saint-Gaudens National Historical 
     Park''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. 
McEachin) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, Augustus Saint-Gaudens is one of the most prolific 
sculptors in our Nation's history. His work includes Boston's Robert 
Gould Shaw Memorial, Chicago's Standing Lincoln, and New York's William 
Tecumseh Sherman Memorial. Most notably, Saint-Gaudens designed a $20 
double eagle gold piece for the U.S. Mint, considered one of the 
greatest American coins ever issued.
  The Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site is a 190-acre historic site 
in Sullivan County, New Hampshire. The site encompasses the summer home 
and studio of this renowned American artist, whose annual presence in 
Sullivan County helped spawn the Cornish Artist Colony in nearby 
Cornish, New Hampshire. This colony, which was

[[Page H7643]]

comprised of painters, sculptors, and musicians, helped drive a period 
of American artistic resurgence called the American Renaissance in the 
years following the Civil War.
  The main house and surrounding gardens were initially designated as a 
National Historic Landmark in 1962, which was converted to a National 
Historic Site in 1964, when the grounds were donated to the National 
Park Service. The current property contains 21 buildings, a number of 
Saint-Gaudens' sculptures, and miles of hiking trails.
  This bill simply changes the designation of Saint-Gaudens National 
Historic Site to a National Historical Park, allowing the National Park 
Service to better relay the impact and legacy of this historic American 
artist.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the measure, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. McEACHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 965, introduced by Representative Kuster of New 
Hampshire, redesignates a site in her State as the Saint-Gaudens 
National Historical Park, a critical name change that recognizes the 
cultural and historical importance of that landscape.
  Augustus Saint-Gaudens was a keystone figure in the 19th century 
American Renaissance of art and architecture. Since 1977, the home, 
studio, gardens, and artwork of this American icon have been managed 
and preserved by the National Park Service as part of the Saint-Gaudens 
National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire.
  One of Saint-Gaudens' most well-known creations is the Shaw Memorial 
in Boston. This sculpture memorializes the bravery of Robert Gould 
Shaw, who led the first regiment of African-American soldiers recruited 
from the North during the Civil War. However, this is just one of the 
many public monuments credited to Saint-Gaudens, many of which are 
preserved and managed by the National Park Service at the Saint-Gaudens 
National Historic Site.
  In 2010, however, the National Park Service acquired the adjacent 
Blow-Me-Down Farm, an important meeting place for the Cornish Art 
Colony led by Saint-Gaudens. The acquisition of the farm allows the 
site to fulfill its vision as a national park for the arts. The 
expanded physical size and historical scope is better defined as a 
National Historic Park rather than a National Historical Site, which is 
usually reserved for a single building or other stand-alone structure.
  Importantly, this redesignation will not change any laws or policies 
affecting the site and will only require changes in signage, maps, and 
handouts. Therefore, redesignating this area as Saint-Gaudens National 
Historical Park conforms to naming standards used by the National Park 
Service and further honors the legacy of Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
  In addition to preserving Saint-Gaudens' legacy, the site also 
protects a variety of important ecosystems. The site is bordered by two 
streams that feed into the Connecticut River, and it contains a large 
forest and pond where visitors can observe wildlife.
  Representative Kuster introduced H.R. 965 with the support of the 
entire New Hampshire delegation, and I would like to thank her for her 
dedication to protecting the historic areas important to her State and 
our national story.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the adoption of this 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster), the author of this fine 
piece of legislation.
  Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman 
McEachin for yielding this time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge passage of H.R. 965, the Saint-
Gaudens National Historical Park Redesignation Act.
  Named after the great American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, this 
historic site, located in Cornish, New Hampshire, has preserved his 
home and working studios since it was established in 1965.
  Augustus Saint-Gaudens was born in Dublin, Ireland, and immigrated to 
America with his parents when he was just 6 months old. It was at a 
young age when Augustus developed a strong interest in sculpting, which 
set him on a path to Paris and Rome, where he studied art and 
architecture and worked on his very first commission.
  In 1876, Saint-Gaudens was tapped for his first of several prominent 
Civil War-related commissions, which include the Standing Lincoln 
statue of our 16th President. At over 12 feet tall, this historic 
landmark stands prominently in Chicago's Lincoln Park. After working on 
the statue for close to a decade, the towering piece was unveiled in 
1887 to a crowd of over 10,000 people, including President Lincoln's 
only living grandson.

  His most famous work was commissioned soon after: the Robert Gould 
Shaw Memorial, a bronze bas-relief which took Saint-Gaudens 14 years to 
complete. Located in Boston Common, this iconic sculpture depicts 
Colonel Shaw and the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, 
which was the first African-American regiment organized by the Union in 
the Civil War.
  As one of the foremost American sculptors of the 19th century, Saint-
Gaudens left a lasting legacy on our country's artistic heritage, which 
continues to be cherished at our historic site in Cornish.
  Since its authorization by Congress in 1964 and establishment a year 
later, the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site has blossomed into a 
popular tourist attraction and location for local artists and musicians 
to share their talents. However, the present name, which designates 
this location as a historic site, is no longer the most appropriate or 
useful to accurately portray the complexity of this site.
  Whereas, National Historic Sites are typically designated for single 
buildings or sites that only encompass a few acres in size, the Saint-
Gaudens National Historic Site is 190 acres in size and includes 
multiple buildings, a vast collection of American art, and a small 
trail network that allows visitors to explore the grounds.
  My legislation would simply redesignate Saint-Gaudens National 
Historic Site to Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, which would 
more accurately illustrate all that the park has to offer.
  In partnership with the Saint-Gaudens Memorial, a private nonprofit 
that operated the site until it donated the land to the National Park 
Service in 1965, this historic site offers rotating contemporary and 
historical exhibitions, concerts, hands-on workshops, lectures, and 
many other educational opportunities for our visitors.
  The array of recreational activities offered to visitors makes this 
park much more than a historic site. It is a living remembrance to the 
great American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and the artistic legacy 
that he has left behind. It is my hope that this proposed name change 
will help attract more interest in the park, boost annual visitation, 
and help drive our local economy.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to pass this legislation.
  Mr. McEACHIN. Mr. Speaker, having no one else to speak on this issue, 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I encourage support for 
this piece of legislation and thank the gentlewoman from New Hampshire 
(Ms. Kuster) for putting this forward, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 965, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas 
and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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