Texas Governor's Mansion

The Texas Governor's Mansion is a historic home for the governor of Texas in downtown Austin, Texas. Designed by prominent architect Abner Cook, it was built in 1854 and has been the home of every governor since 1856. Governor Greg Abbott and First Lady Cecilia Phalen Abbott are the current residents.

Texas Governor's Mansion
The Texas Governor's Mansion in 2006.
Texas Governor's Mansion is located in Texas
Texas Governor's Mansion
Texas Governor's Mansion is located in the United States
Texas Governor's Mansion
Interactive map showing the location of Texas Governors' Mansion
Location1010 Colorado St., Austin, Texas, USA
Coordinates30°16′21.72″N 97°44′34.79″W
Built1854
ArchitectAbner Cook
Architectural styleGreek Revival
NRHP reference No.70000896
TSAL No.613
RTHL No.13932
Significant dates
Added to NRHPAugust 25, 1970[1]
Designated NHLDecember 2, 1974[2]
Designated TSALMay 28, 1981
Designated RTHL1962

On June 8, 2008, while midway through a major renovation, the mansion was badly damaged by an arson fire.[3]

History

The mansion is the oldest continuously inhabited house in Texas and fourth oldest governor's mansion in the United States that has been continuously occupied by a chief executive. The mansion was the first-designated Texas historic landmark, in 1962.[4] It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as "Governor's Mansion" in 1970, and further was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1974.

Original architecture

Built by Abner Cook in a Greek Revival style and completed in 1856, the building occupies the center of a block and is surrounded by trees and gardens. The original mansion was 6,000 square feet (560 m2). Remodeling in 1914 increased the size of the mansion to 8,920 square feet (829 m2). The original mansion had 11 rooms but no bathrooms. The remodeling brought the room count to 25 rooms and seven bathrooms.[5] In 1931, at the recommendation of former Texas First Lady Mildred Paxton Moody, the Texas Legislature established the Board of Mansion Supervisors to oversee all interior and exterior upkeep and enhancements to the mansion. The Board was abolished in 1965, and its responsibilities transferred to the Texas Commission on the Arts.[6]

2008 fire

The mansion was partially destroyed by a four-alarm fire during the early morning of June 8, 2008, caused by a Molotov cocktail.[7] Then-Governor Rick Perry and his wife Anita Thigpen Perry were in Europe at the time of the fire. They had relocated in October 2007 for a $10 million major deferred maintenance project that began in January 2008. The project was to include a fire suppression system. State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado said the next Sunday that investigators had evidence that an arsonist targeted the 152-year-old building.[3]

On February 17, 2011, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw announced that two persons of interest had been identified as the arsonists.[8][9] However, ultimately no one was charged with a crime resulting from the fire. According to Travis County Assistant District Attorney Gregg Cox, who led the arson investigation, the ten-year statute of limitations on felony arson in Texas has since expired, saying "chances are, they got away with it."[7]

In May 2009, $22 million was allocated to the restoration of the Governor's Mansion, $11 million of which came from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. An additional $3.4 million was raised through private fund raising. The restoration was completed in 2012.[10]

See also

References

Citations
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "Governor's Mansion (Austin)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved June 8, 2008.
  3. December 2008 0, Pamela Colloff (December 1, 2008). "The Unusual Suspects". Texas Monthly. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  4. Chambers, Allen (August 14, 1974). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: The Governor's Mansion" (pdf). National Park Service. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) and Accompanying three photos, exterior and interior, from 1966 and 1975 (32 KB)
  5. "Texas Governor's Mansion History". www.tiki-toki.com. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  6. "TSHA | Board of Mansion Supervisors". www.tshaonline.org. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  7. Garcia-Buckalew, Bob (September 26, 2019). "Who set fire to the Texas Governor's Mansion? The 11-year-old mystery still baffles investigators". KVUE-TV Austin. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  8. Kreytak, Steven. "DPS: Anarchists linked to arson at Governor's Mansion". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  9. Ramshaw, Emily (September 10, 2008). "Texas Governor's Mansion fire probe turns to Austin men arrested at Republican convention". Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on September 11, 2008. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  10. "Texas Governor's Mansion Restoration". gov.texas.gov. Retrieved May 26, 2022.

Sources
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