Texas Governor's Mansion
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| Governor's Mansion | |
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| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | 1010 Colorado St., Austin, Texas, USA |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1855 |
| Architect: | Abner Cook |
| Architectural style(s): | Greek Revival |
| Designated as NHL: | December 02, 1974[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | August 25, 1970[2] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 70000896 |
| Governing body: | State of Texas, Office of the Governor |
The Texas Governor's Mansion is a landmark in Austin, Texas that was heavily damaged by arson on June 8, 2008. Damage was termed 'bordering on catastrophic' by Texas officials.[3]
It was built in 1854 and has been the home of every governor since 1856, making it 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 in 1970, and further was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1974.[1][4]
Designed by Abner Cook in a Greek Revival style, the building occupies the center of a block and is surrounded by trees and gardens. The original mansion was 6000 square feet. Remodeling in 1914 increased the size of the mansion to 8920 square feet. The original mansion had 11 rooms but no bathrooms. The remodeling brought the room count to 25 rooms and 7 bathrooms.
It was said to be occupied by several ghosts including Sam Houston and the ghost of a former governor's nephew who committed suicide in the northwest bedroom in 1865.[5]
The mansion was partially destroyed by a four-alarm fire in the early morning of June 8, 2008. Current Texas Governor Rick Perry and First Lady Anita Perry were in Europe at the time of the fire. They had moved out in October 2007 for a $10 million remodeling project that began in January 2008 to refurbish and restore the mansion to its original appearance. The remodeling was to include a fire suppression system.[6] "State Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado said Sunday that investigators have evidence that an arsonist targeted the 152-year-old building. They have made no arrests, and don’t have a suspect. An official close to the investigation said agents determined the fire was a criminal act after reviewing footage from security cameras."[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Governor's Mansion (Austin). National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2008-04-15).
- ^ Sullivan, John (2008-06-08). Fire Sweeps Through Texas Governor’s Mansion. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
- ^ a b Chambers, Allen (August 14, 1974), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: The Governor's MansionPDF (32 KB), National Park Service and Accompanying three photos, exterior and interior, from 1966 and 1975PDF (32 KB)
- ^ Texas Governor's Mansion...ghost picture?. Hollow Hill (2006). Retrieved on 2008-06-09.
- ^ Governor's Mansion burns; arson possible. Austin News KXAN.com (2008-06-08). Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
- ^ Hoppe, Christy, and Emily Ramshaw (2008-06-08). Fire marshal says Texas Governor's Mansion blaze appears deliberate. Dallas Morning News. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
- "The Texas Governor's Mansion," The Magazine Antiques, July 2006.
[edit] External links
- Governor's Mansion from the Handbook of Texas Online
- Governor's Mansion, 1010 Colorado Street, Austin, Travis County, TX: 21 photos, 11 drawings, 3 data pages and supplemental material, at Historic American Building Survey
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