Executive Order

Executive Order  No. 358: Establishing a blue ribbon commission to study and oversee the renovation and restoration of the state house

Date: 08/18/1993
Issuer: William F. Weld
Mass Register: No. 720
Revoking and Superseding: Executive Order 331

Table of Contents

WHEREAS, the Massachusetts State House, constructed in 1795, is a historical and architectural landmark; and

WHEREAS, many of our nation's milestone debates including those on public education, humane treatment of the insane, abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, and prohibition have taken place within the walls of the State House; and

WHEREAS, the State House symbolizes the many contributions the Commonwealth's great political thinkers have made to the progress of our country; and

WHEREAS, students of the Commonwealth have traditionally received their first close look at the workings of a democracy through visits to the State House; and

WHEREAS, thousands of domestic and international tourists visit the State House yearly to learn about its history and the history of our nation; and

WHEREAS, the State House will celebrate its bicentennial in 1995; and

WHEREAS, the continual use of the State House for almost two hundred years has weakened its structural soundness and integrity; and

WHEREAS, the condition of the State House falls short of current state and federal public health and disability access requirements, thereby endangering the health and safety of employees and visitors; and

WHEREAS, many years of wear and usage have jeopardized the continued preservation of the State House's artistic and historic treasures; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth has an obligation to ensure the care and safekeeping of this valued legacy for future generations;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, William F. Weld, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Supreme Executive Magistrate, do hereby revoke Executive Order No. 331 and order as follows:

1. The Commission shall consist of twenty-two members appointed by the Governor, including representatives from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Northeast Document Conservation Center, local schools of architecture, three members each of the House and the Senate, and members of the Executive Branch, including the Superintendent of Buildings. The Governor will appoint a chair and a vice chair of the Commission, and the Commission may establish such subcommittees as it deems necessary to fulfill its responsibilities under this Executive Order;

2. The Commission shall coordinate, develop and recommend to the Governor a plan for the restoration and renovation of the State House which will have as its objective the best means of ensuring the continued accessibility of the State House to the citizenry of the Commonwealth and of the Country;

3. The Commission shall identify the renovations which have been completed and the appropriations made to date;

4. The Commission shall evaluate the scope of the renovations which still must be performed including structural work, systems repair, cleaning and painting and the restoration of the valuable pieces of art in the State House;

5. The Commission shall investigate the potential utilization of resources from both the public and private sectors to fund the renovation and restoration project; and

6. The Commission shall plan and coordinate the project so that to the extent possible the work will be complete for the bicentennial celebration in June, 1995.

Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston this 18th day of August in the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-three.

William F. Weld, Governor
Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Michael Joseph Connolly
Secretary of the Commonwealth

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