    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [May 2, 2005]
    [Pages 710-712]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Presenting the Preserve America Presidential Awards
    May 2, 2005

        The President. A couple of funny lines one evening and she gets
    carried away. [Laughter] Laura ``Leno'' Bush.
    [Laughter]
        We welcome you to the White House. We welcome you to the Rose
    Garden. I hope you think it's as beautiful a place as we do, and we're
    honored to have some of America's outstanding community leaders and
    preservationists with us.
        Laura is a preservationist. She's done a lot
    of good work here at the White House. She's helped restore the Cabinet
    Room. Most recently she restored the Lincoln Bedroom, based upon old
    photos. And

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    you've left your marks in your communities, and she's going to leave a
    great mark here in Washington, DC, as well. I'm really proud of her. And
    we're both proud of the hard work you're doing to preserve historic
    resources in your communities and helping to sustain the national memory
    for future generations.
        I appreciate Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton for joining us. Welcome, Madam Secretary. And I want to
    thank Fran Mainella, who is the Director
    of the National Parks system. Thanks for coming.
        I appreciate Congressmen John Barrow of
    Georgia and Donna Christensen
    of the Virgin Islands. Welcome. Glad you both are here. Thank you for
    coming.
        I appreciate Bruce Cole being here. He's the
    Chairman of the National Endowment of the Humanities. And I want to
    thank my longtime friend from Texas, John Nau, who is the Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic
    Preservation. Welcome. And Bobbie,
    good to see you, Bobbie.
        Like you all, Laura and I want every American
    to have a chance to learn about this country's history and to enjoy our
    national treasures. So in 2003, we created the Preserve America
    Presidential Awards to recognize outstanding contributions to America's
    cultural and national heritage. The efforts of today's award winners
    have drawn tourists to museums and towns, created jobs, and revitalized
    neighborhoods. They've also opened new opportunities for learning.
        The first Preserve America award winner we honor this year has
    helped extend the legacy of one of Laura's
    favorite authors, Edith Wharton. When we first moved to the White House,
    she was reading Edith Wharton's books. Sometimes it was hard to get her
    to turn off the light. [Laughter] By the way, this wasn't the first time
    she read Edith Wharton's books; it was the second time she read Edith
    Wharton's books.
        And today we are proud to recognize the efforts of Edith Wharton
    Restoration to restore The Mount, the Massachusetts country estate of
    this American literary icon. Edith Wharton once said that there are two
    ways of spreading light, to be the candle or the mirror that reflects
    it. Your work reflects her light and will enrich our national heritage.
    Congratulations. Thank you all for coming.
        The second award recipient is close to our hearts. The Texas
    Heritage Trails Program has mapped out special driving routes through
    the State to encourage regional tourism and bring some of Texas's proud
    history to light. Parents can take their children on a drive to learn
    about pioneers and cowboys. [Laughter] That would not be the Dallas
    Cowboys, although they're--[laughter]. And as they do so, they get to
    see the great diversity and beauty of the Texas landscape.
        One potential visitor even expressed interest in riding the whole
    650-mile Texas Independence Trail on a bicycle. That was not me.
    [Laughter] When I move back to Texas, I can't wait to see the delights
    of the trail again.
        Congratulations, and welcome.
        Our third award recipient has restored a site almost as old as
    America, itself. In Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, Bolduc Historic
    Properties has fixed up some of the State's first French Colonial homes,
    right on the banks of the Mississippi River. The restoration of the 18th
    Bolduc House has attracted visitors from around the country and has
    drawn rave reviews. Historical restoration is a job for----
        The First Lady. Eighteenth century.
    [Laughter]
        The President. You've become a comedienne and an editor. [Laughter]
    We're glad you're here.
        Historical restoration is a job for perfectionists, as I was saying.
    [Laughter] And our fourth recipient teaches us an important lesson: If
    something is worth doing, it is worth doing right. When the Historic
    Savannah Foundation and Davenport House Committee discovered that an
    earlier restoration on the Isaiah Davenport

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    House Museum was historically inaccurate, they started over. Isn't that
    right? And you got the job done right this time.
        The Davenport House inspired Savannah's unique ethic of preservation
    and led to the restoration of hundreds of other historic buildings. The
    city of Savannah has become a model for other towns to emulate. Tourists
    visiting historic sites contributed more than a billion dollars to
    Savannah's economy last year.
        We welcome you here. Congratulations on doing well.
        Again, Laura and I welcome you. Establishing
    the Presidential Awards is a small way of encouraging acts of
    preservation around our country. We look forward to giving the awards
    next year. We hope those who are listening become inspired by the
    examples of our recipients. Again, we congratulate our recipients and
    thank you for a job well done. May God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 10:25 a.m. in the Rose Garden
    at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Barbara ``Bobbie'' E.
    Nau, wife of Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chairman John L.
    Nau III. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary
    also included the remarks of the First Lady.