Chapter 250. Authorizing the sale of real property no longer required for military purposes
1,236 words·~6 min read·
/statutes-at-large/vol-42/chapter-250-5987202·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
CHAP. 250.— An Act Authorizing the sale of real property no longer required for military purposes. March 4, 1923.[[S. 4216](/us/bill/67/s/4216).][[Public, No. 501](/us/67/pl/501).] *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled*,Lands for military-purposes.Sale of designated tracts, etc., no longer needed therefor. That the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized to sell or to cause to be sold, either in whole on in two or more parts as he may deem best for the interests of the United States, the several tracts or parcels of real property hereinafter designated, or any interest therein or appurtenant thereto, which said tracts or parcels are no longer needed for military purposes, and to execute and deliver in the name of the United States and in its behalf any and all contracts, conveyances, or other instruments necessary to effectuate such sale. first corps area.
Maine.Maine.—Fort Baldwin, Sabine Head, Popham Beach; Fort Edgecomb, Edgecomb; Fort Knox, opposite town of Bucksport on the Penobscot River; Fort Machias, Machiasport, about twenty-five miles west of the Canadian border; Fort McClary, Portsmouth Harbor, opposite Fort Constitution, on Piscataqua River; Fort Popham, Phippsburg, Hunnewells Point, west bank of Kennebec River; Saint Georges (Robinsons Point), Saint George, eastern side of Saint Georges River, Knox County; Sugar Loaf Islands, known as North and South Sugar Loaf Islands, at the entrance to the Kennebec River, near Bath.
New Hampshire.New Hampshire.—Portsmouth, reservation at, locally known as Sagamore Reservation; Portsmouth gun house. Massachusetts.Massachusetts.—Gloucester gun house. Back Street; Salisbury Beach, near mouth of Merrimac River, Salisbury; Fort Standish (old), Saquish Neck, northern entrance to Plymouth Harbor, four miles by water from Plymouth. Rhode Island.Rhode Island.—Fort Mansfield, Napatree Point, near Watch Hill, Washington County. 1451 Connecticut.—Lighthouse Point, East Haven, about five milesConnecticut. from New Haven. second corps area.
New York.—Plumb Island Reservation (often called PlumbNew York. Beach), near the eastern border of Sheepshead Bay, being part of the east end of Plumb Island, in the town of Gravesend, Kings County; Fort Tyler, Gardiners Point (Gardiners Island), near Sag Harbor, Long Island Sound, Suffolk County. third corps area. Maryland.—Fort Armistead, Hawkins Point, Anne ArundelMaryland. County; Fort Carroll, Sobers Point Flats, in the Patapsco River, about four miles from Baltimore; Fort Foote, Roziers Bluff, Prince Georges County, eight miles below Washington on left bank of Potomac River.
Virginia.—Ferry Point, on the Elizabeth River, Norfolk County;Virginia. Fort Nelson, on the Elizabeth River near Mosquito Point, in Norfolk County; Pumping Station Reserve, Fort Monroe (Phoebus), about one mile from the fort; Fort Powhatan (often called Fort at Hoods), Hoods, south bank of the James River between Wards Creek and Flower de Hundred Creek, in Prince George County; Willoughby Spit Reservation, Willoughby Bay, Norfolk County; Fort Humphreys (approximately two thousand acres only), on right bank of Potomac River about twenty miles south of Washington. fourth corps area.
North Carolina.—Beacon Island, Ockrakoke Inlet, an entranceNorth Carolina. to Pamlico Sound, near the mouth of the Neuse River, Carteret County; Fort Macon, Old Topsail Inlet, two miles from Beaufort and Morehead City, Carteret County. South Carolina.—Fort Fremont, Saint Helena Island, nearSouth Carolina. Fort Royal, Beaufort County; Fort Winyaw, Blythes Point, at the mouth of Sampit Creek or Georgetown River, Georgetown Harbor, in Georgetown district. Georgia.—Americus Air Intermediate Depot and Souther Field,Georgia. four miles north of Americus;
Fort Jackson, old (formerly Fort Oglethorpe), Savannah, on west bank of Savannah River, about one mile below city; Point Peter, near Saint Marys, mouth of Saint Marys River, Camden County. Florida.—Chapman Field, near Benson, fourteen miles south ofFlorida. Miami; Fort Clinch, on the north end of Amelia Island in Nassau County, three miles from Fernandina and fifty miles north of Saint Augustine, five hundred acres only; balance, one hundred and ninety-four and five-tenths acres, will be returned to the Department of the Interior;
Saint Johns Bluff, near Mayport, Duval County Louisiana.—Fort Livingston, west end of Grand Terre Island,Louisiana. in the parish of Jefferson, at the entrance of Grand Pass to Barataria Bay, ninety miles south of New Orleans; Fort Saint Philip, east bank of the Mississippi River, parish of Plaquemines, nearly opposite Fort Jackson, about seventy miles below New Orleans. fifth corps area. Kentucky.—Camp Knox surplus areas, Stithton.Kentucky. 1452 seventh corps area. Minnesota.Minnesota.—Saint Paul Army Building, Second and Robert Streets. eight corps area.
Texas.Texas.—Love Field septic tank site, Hawes, five miles north of Dallas. ninth corps area. Washington.Washington.—Lagoon Point, opposite Marrowstone Island, on the east side of Admiralty Inlet, in Island County; Nodule Point, on west side of Admiralty Inlet, Jefferson County; Port Madison (Agate Passage), on Agate Passage to Port Orchard, Kitsap County. Utah.Utah.—Ogden Observatory, Ogden. Sec. 2. Appraisal. In the disposal of the aforesaid properties the Secretary of War shall in each and every case cause the same to be appraised, either as a whole or in two or more parts, by an appraiser or appraisers to be chosen by him for each tract, and in the making Consideration of historic interest, etc.of such appraisal due regard shall be given to the value of any improvements thereon and to the historic interest of any part of said land.
Sec. 3. Notification to Governor of State. After such appraisal shall have been made and approved by the Secretary of War, notification of the fact of such appraisal shall be given by the Secretary of War to the governor of the Option for six months to a State, etc.State in which each such tract of land is located, and such State or the county or municipality in which such land is located shall in the order named have the option at any time within six months after the approval of such appraisal to acquire the same, or any part thereof which shall have been separately appraised, upon payment within said period of six months of the appraisal value: *Provided, however*, *Proviso*.Use for public park purposes.That the conveyance of said tract of land to such State, county, or municipality shall be upon the condition and limitation that said property shall be limited to use for public-park purposes and upon cessation of such use shall revert to the United States without notice, demand, or action brought.
Sec. 4. Disposal at public sale if option not exercised. Six months after the date of approval of said appraisal, if the option given in section 4 hereof shall not have been completely exercised, the Secretary of War shall sell or cause to be sold each of said properties at public sale, at not less than the appraised value, after advertisement in such manner as may be directed by the Secretary. Sec. 5. Report to Congress. A full report of transfers and sales made under the provisions of this Act shall be submitted to Congress by the Secretary of War.
Sec. 6. Expenses of appraisal, etc., from proceeds of sale. The expense of appraisal, survey, advertising, and sale shall in each case be paid from the proceeds of the sale, whether made in accordance with section 4 or section 5 of this Act, and the net proceeds thereof shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of “Miscellaneous receipts.” Sec. 7. No prior authority for sales, etc., repealed. The authority granted by this Act shall not repeal any prior legislative authority granted to the Secretary of War to sell or otherwise dispose of lands or property of the United States.
Approved, March 4, 1923.