Now, just as we have every 100 years since the beginning of Christ Church, we go about the work to secure our future for the next 100 years.
Christ Church is in need of significant preservation and maintenance work. Paint is peeling on the balustrades, the historic brickwork needs attention, and there are no working sprinklers in the church.
Like the church, Neighborhood House next door does not have fire safety, or other modern amenities. Yet, it doesn't just need to be preserved. It needs a new purpose; and none is more important than being refitted to play a crucial role in welcoming our 300,000 annual visitors while continuing to serve both the parish and its neighbors.
We are also stewards of one of America's most important and historic burial grounds. Without adequate preservation, the burial ground could close again to the public.
Christ Church and her many friends and supporters do not seek to create a shrine to the past, but to ensure that it remains a living, growing institution. After all, our remarkable past has little power if the institutions that gave it birth are gone.
That is still our gift to the nation.