NATIONAL QUADRICENTENNIAL COMMISSION
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA
1565 1965

July 6, 1965 .

Mr. Lawson B. Knott, Jr., Administrator i
General Services Administration
Washington 25, D. C.

My dear Mr. Knotts

Thank you for your letter of June 15th with
respect to the old *Government Bouse* in St. Augustine
now oooupied by the Post Office Department and certain
other federal agenoles. I have consulted in respect to
the matter with ir. Herbert E. Wolfe, Chairman of the
Federal Quadrioctennaial Commission which seeks its
use. I must confess that the proposals incorporated in
your letter are not quite what we had in aind, but let
us start from this for the present.

I should first point out that Congress has
not yet appropriated any funds to this federal agency,
and it therefore cannot responsibly agree to assume any
maintenance and operating costs, or relocation costs or
rentals. In view of the faet that it is a federal agency
operating without an appropriation, whose staff and mem-
bers donate their time, I wonder if we might not reason-
ably ask the General Services Administration to assume
these oosts? The Coamission operates with the coopera-
tion of other government agencies, and the National Park
Service, for example, has been most generous in serving
the Quadrioentennial Commission. These sobts would be
very mirsor in the overall G.S.A. budget, and I am share
would not alter your financial situation in the Atlanta
Regional Offioe.

We will have to await the vacancy of the build.
ing by the Post Office Department, of oouroe, for its
utilization for a quadricentennial exhibition building.
To continue the exlsteneo of the Agrieultural Department
offices upatairs would be no particular hindrance to the
functioning of the downstairs areas for these purposes.

When the building is fully vacated and made
available for disposal, it is our hope that the National
Park Service will take Jurisdiction, based on the research
now under way.


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Mr. Lawson B. Knott, Jr.


And by the way I want to express to you our
deepest appreelation for the extensive amount of ro*
s*aroh whih your department undertook to determine
the history of the building during its American period,
as desotlbed to me by Mr. Earle Newton, Direotor General
of the ComisPsion. This material has been forwarded to
the National Park Servioe to assist them in their deter-
mination.
In view of the financial status of this Commis-
sion, we will be most grateful for the uteost oonsidera-
tion on your part and will be hopeful for your assistance.
3inoerely yours,


George A. S3athers
United States Senator


ot. Senator Speseard Holland
Rep. D. R. Matthews


July 6, 1965


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