H.R. 1541 - to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire certain property related to the Fort Scott National Historic Site in Fort Scott, Kansas

Floor Situation

On Tuesday, July 11, 2017, the House will consider H.R. 1541, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire certain property related to the Fort Scott National Historic Site in Fort Scott, Kansas, under suspension of the rules. The bill was introduced on March 15, 2017 by Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), and was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, which ordered the bill reported on June 27, 2017 by unanimous consent.

Summary

H.R. 1541 authorizes the National Park Service to acquire a Civil War-era structure known as the “Lunette Blair” blockhouse and to incorporate the structure into the Fort Scott National Historic Site in Bourbon County, Kansas.

Background

During the Civil War, the Union Army originally constructed four fortified structures, or lunettes, around Fort Scott. These structures were known amongst the soldiers as Fort Lincoln, Fort Henning, Fort Insley, and Fort Blair, of which Fort Blair, known today as Lunette Blair or the Western Blockhouse, is the only remaining Civil War blockhouse in the community of Fort Scott.[1]

Immediately after the Civil War, the federal government sold these structures to private owners. Lunette Blair itself had several owners since the 19th century including Dr. W.S. McDonald and later the Molly Foster Berry Chapter of the DAR who, along with the Bourbon County Historical Preservation Association and others presently, have continued the building’s historic preservation.[2]

Lunette Blair has been a fixture of the community for over a century. For decades its image even became the insignia for a local business, the Western Insurance Company, where the “Western Blockhouse” logo symbolized security and protection from 1924 through 1986 after the business ultimately closed down. Former Western Insurance employees have been passionate volunteer caretakers of the blockhouse for decades.[3]

According to the bill’s sponsor, “It is vitally important to preserve those key pieces of our Kansas history which fit into our story as a nation. Since its construction in 1863, the blockhouse, which is the sole remaining structure of four original fortifications, has been a landmark of the community of Fort Scott and a reminder of Kansas’s role in preserving the Union. Through the combined preservation efforts of passionate citizens of the community, the blockhouse endures as a fixture of Fort Scott’s historical legacy. It is an honor to help these individuals and local organizations transfer this important structure into the care of the Park Service at the Fort Scott National Historic Site.”[4]

Cost

A Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimate is not currently available; however, during the 114th Congress, the Natural Resources Committee reported a similar bill (H.R. 2333), and CBO estimated that the bill would cost $200K over the 2017-2021 period, and $40K a year thereafter, subject to appropriation.

Staff Contact

For questions or further information on the bill, contact Jake Vreeburg with the House Republican Policy Committee by email or at 2-1374.