Presidential Actions
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OVAL OFFICE NATIONAL MONUMENT
Proclamations
November 5, 2026
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
The Oval Office stands as one of the most recognizable and historically significant spaces in the United States.
Since its establishment in its present location and form during the administration of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt, it has served as the principal working office of the President of the United States.
Decisions of profound national and international consequence have been made within its walls.
It has hosted heads of state, shaped the daily conduct of the executive branch, and become a symbol of the American Presidency itself.
The room’s distinctive oval design, first introduced in the West Wing under President William Howard Taft and refined in the early 1930s, reflects both practical and ceremonial purposes.
Its architecture, finishes of lasting character, and continuous association with the Presidency give the Oval Office exceptional and unique value in illustrating the history of the United States.
The Oval Office possesses an unmatched and unique combination of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, and an association with historical events that are embedded in our national consciousness.
The White House and its grounds are Federal property administered as part of the President’s Park by the National Park Service and are already recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
Nonetheless, the Oval Office merits specific recognition and protective management as a discrete historic structure of national significance.