Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 106 Part 6.djvu/863

 PROCLAMATION 6488—OCT. 9, 1992 106 STAT. 5421 some 40 years after the laying of the cornerstone was the White House truly completed with the building of the north portico. Since that time, the White House has experienced two major renovations—one in 1902 and another from 1948-1952. During the latter renovation, James Hoban's wood structure was entirely rebuilt, yet within its original sandstone and brick walls, and today the White House continues to appear much as it did during the days of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Engineers and historians have worked hard to honor original schemes for the design and decoration of the White House, and succeeding Administrations have taken an increasing interest in the preservation of this historic home. In recent years the White House Historical Association, which was chartered in 1961, has played a leading role in funding the conservation of the priceless antiques and paintings that furnish the White House, and this year restoration of its exterior features will be complete. Our Nation's Founders would be proud of the enduring beauty of "the President's house," just as they would be delighted by the continuing success of their great experiment in self-government. Because the White House represents such an important part of our American heritage, it has been included as a unit of our National Park System since 1933. More than 1 million people tour this magnificent home each year, in addition to the countless visitors who pause nearby to view its grounds and to reflect on its storied past. Much of our Nation's history has passed through these walls, and it is here that much of our future will be shaped as well. On this 200th anniversary of the White House, as we celebrate the past and look forward—as did our ancestors—to the ages to come, we do well to repeat the timeless prayer of President John Adams, the first resident of this important home: I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby encourage all Americans to join in celebrating the 200th anniversary of the laying of the White House cornerstone on October 13, 1992. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of October in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and seventeenth. GEORGE BUSH

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