<P> The Lee Dining Room is used for formal banquets . It is lit by an 1825 Irish crystal chandelier . One hundred place settings of fine china and 150 place settings of sterling silver flatware were acquired from Tiffany & Co. in 1988 for use in the dining room . </P> <P> The President's Guest House is owned by the U.S. government and is managed by the office of the Chief of Protocol of the United States in cooperation with the Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of State's Bureau of Administration, and the Department of State's Office of Fine Arts . Maintenance and operation of the facility are paid for by the U.S. government . The Blair House Restoration Fund, a private organization, finances the preservation of historic furnishings and art . The board of trustees of the Blair House Restoration Fund is chaired by Selwa Roosevelt . </P> <P> The house is operated by full - time staff who are non-residential but customarily live - in during periods of occupancy by a visiting dignitary . In 2001, the staff included a general manager, an assistant general manager, two butlers, a doorman, four housekeepers, two chefs, a launderer, a curator, and several maintenance workers . Security for the facility is provided by the United States Secret Service during periods of occupancy by foreign heads of state and chiefs of government . During visits by other guests such as foreign ministers, the Diplomatic Security Service assumes the leading role . </P> <P> When a visiting foreign dignitary is in residence at the President's Guest House, the dignitary's official standard is displayed on the building's flagpole . In cases where dignitaries have no official standards, the dignitary's national flag is displayed instead . If two or more foreign visitors of equal rank are visiting Washington, neither is invited to stay at the President's Guest House to avoid the perception of favoritism . </P>

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