Georgia Governor's Mansion
Encyclopedia
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
is located at 391 West Paces Ferry Road NW, in the affluent Buckhead
Buckhead (Atlanta)
Buckhead is the uptown district of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, comprising approximately the northern one-fifth of the city. Buckhead is a major commercial and financial center of the Southeast, and it is the third-largest business district in Atlanta, behind Downtown and Midtown...
district of Atlanta.
Construction
The current Governor's Mansion is on property that belonged to former Atlanta mayor Robert MaddoxRobert Maddox
Robert Foster Maddox was the 41st Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.Son of early Atlanta settler and war hero Robert Flournoy Maddox, he was educated in public school, and then attending the University of Georgia until 1887 when he completed studies at Harvard.He was Chairman of the board of the Atlanta &...
(no relation to Lester Maddox
Lester Maddox
Lester Garfield Maddox was an American politician who was the 75th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1967 to 1971....
), who owned a large English Tudor-style home on the site. A fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
destroyed a large part of the house and Mr. Maddox sold the property to the state. The remainder of the home was demolished to construct the current mansion.
The Governor's Mansion is a three-level
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
, 30-room, Greek Revival style home built in 1967. It stands on approximately 18 acres (73,000 m²) on historic West Paces Ferry Road in north-northwest Atlanta. It was designed by Georgia architect Thomas Bradbury
Thomas Bradbury
-Life:Bradbury was born in Yorkshire, and was educated for the congregational ministry Attercliffe Academy; Oliver Heywood gave him books. He preached his first sermon on 14 June 1696, and went to reside as assistant and domestic tutor with Thomas Whitaker, minister of the independent congregation,...
and officially opened on January 1, 1968.
In 1975, the mansion was heavily damaged in a tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
that struck west and then north Atlanta on the morning of March 24, occurring just a week after Governor Busbee moved in after his inauguration
Inauguration
An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. An example is the ceremony in which the President of the United States officially takes the oath of office....
, and necessitating a renovation
Renovation
Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
. It also led to the tornado being called the "governor's tornado", the worst to hit the city until the 2008 storm that hit downtown. Later in 2008, the front door
Door
A door is a movable structure used to open and close off an entrance, typically consisting of a panel that swings on hinges or that slides or rotates inside of a space....
was damaged by fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
during another renovation on the afternoon of September 11. The Atlanta Fire Department quickly extinguished the fire, and determined through thermal imaging that the fire had not spread inside the wall. Few people were present and nobody was injured, as it was after work hours, and the governor and his wife were away.
Exterior
The house covers 24,000 square feet (2,200 m²) and has a total of 30 Doric columns around the porchPorch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
es. These columns are made from California redwoods and are each 24 feet (7 m) high. They are hollowed out and specially treated on the inside to handle water drainage from the roof. The setting is park-like with numerous trees. On the grounds is the swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, children's play area
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
, and the greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
. The centerpiece of the entrance is a Georgia marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
with three large flagpoles.
Interior
The mansion has three levels: a lower level, the main level, and the upper level. The lower level has various rooms supporting the mansion. The ballroomBallroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
is located on this level. The ballroom has a capacity of 175 for formal dinner and has uses for smaller functions as well. The pool and outside patio
Patio
A patio is an outdoor space generally used for dining or recreation that adjoins a residence and is typically paved. It may refer to a roofless inner courtyard of the sort found in Spanish-style dwellings or a paved area between a residence and a garden....
are also off this level.
The main floor can be considered the State Floor. The majority of the rooms on this floor are used for official entertaining. The rooms also can be used for day to day activities. The Entrance Hall is the first thing you see as you enter. Flanking the right side is the Georgia Library containing books written by Georgia authors. Flanking the left of the entrance is the guest bedroom
Bedroom
A bedroom is a private room where people usually sleep for the night or relax during the day.About one third of our lives are spent sleeping and most of the time we are asleep, we are sleeping in a bedroom. To be considered a bedroom the room needs to have bed. Bedrooms can range from really simple...
, which is the only bedroom on the main floor. Walking your way toward the back of the mansion you find the Circular Hall with its grand staircase. Located on the right the State Dining Room and the State sitting room on the Left. They are both used for formal state functions. The back center of the entrance hall contains the powder room
Bathroom
A bathroom is a room for bathing in containing a bathtub and/or a shower and optionally a toilet, a sink/hand basin/wash basin and possibly also a bidet....
on the right, Family Dining Room in front of you, and the Family Sitting Room to your left. The kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
is in the back corner of the dining room. These are the three rooms used regularly by the family since this is the kitchen of the mansion.
The upper floor contains the Governor's private living quarters. This level contains among other features the Governor's Mansion office
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
, first lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
's office, and family living room
Living room
A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...
. There are several special bedrooms on this floor. The Presidential Suite with its own sitting room, bedroom, and bath has a commanding view of the front lawn
Lawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
. The Carter Bedroom, named after the former president, Lincoln Bedroom, and a couple of other bedrooms are also on this level.
Furnishings
All of the furnishings in the house are considered to be museum quality and make up one of the finest Federal period collections in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. These furnishings were acquired by a 70-member fine arts committee while the Mansion was being constructed. It is a permanent collection and belongs to the state of Georgia. It does not change from one administration to the next.
Governors Residing in the Mansion
Lester MaddoxLester Maddox
Lester Garfield Maddox was an American politician who was the 75th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1967 to 1971....
was the first governor to live there, followed by Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, George Busbee
George Busbee
George Dekle Busbee was an American politician who served as the 77th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1975 to 1983....
, Joe Frank Harris
Joe Frank Harris
Joe Frank Harris is an American conservative Democratic politician who served as the 78th Governor of the U.S. state of Georgia from 1983 to 1991....
, Zell Miller
Zell Miller
Zell Bryan Miller is an American politician from the US state of Georgia. A Democrat, Miller served as Lieutenant Governor from 1975 to 1991, 79th Governor of Georgia from 1991 to 1999, and as United States Senator from 2000 to 2005....
, Roy Barnes
Roy Barnes
Roy Eugene Barnes served as the 80th Governor of Georgia from January 1999 until January 2003. Barnes was also a candidate for Governor of Georgia in the 2010 election....
, Sonny Perdue
Sonny Perdue
George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....
, and Nathan Deal
Nathan Deal
John Nathan Deal is a United States politician, the 82nd and current Governor of Georgia. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1992 but switched to the Republican Party in 1995...
who is the mansion's current resident.
Public tours
ToursTour guide
A tour guide provides assistance, information and cultural, historical and contemporary heritage interpretation to people on organized tours, individual clients, educational establishments, at religious and historical sites, museums, and at venues of other significant interest...
are conducted throughout the year on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Reservations are needed for groups of 10 or more. There is no charge.
Previous mansions
Georgia has had three official mansions and one unofficial mansion in two different cities:- The first Executive MansionOld Governor's Mansion (Milledgeville, Georgia)The Governor's Mansion , also known as Old Governor's Mansion or Executive Mansion, is a mansion in Milledgeville, Georgia....
(1838–1868) was located in MilledgevilleMilledgeville, GeorgiaMilledgeville is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is northeast of Macon, located just before Eatonton on the way to Athens along U.S. Highway 441, and it is located on the Oconee River. The relatively rapid current of the Oconee here made this an...
and is still open today for public tours.
- The state capital was moved from Milledgeville to Atlanta in 1868 and the first residence was unofficial, a three-story building on the east side of Peachtree StreetPeachtree StreetPeachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
, between Ellis and Baker streets, owned by Charles Larenden.
- In 1870 the first official mansion in Atlanta was purchased from John H. JamesJohn H. JamesJohn H. James was an American banker, politician, and businessman who served as the 21st Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, in 1871....
at Cain (now Andrew Young Intl. Blvd.) and Peachtree and its first occupant was Rufus BullockRufus BullockRufus Brown Bullock was an American politician.-Biography:He served as the 46th Governor of Georgia from 1868 to 1871 during Reconstruction and was the first Republican governor of Georgia. After various allegations of scandal, in 1871 he was obliged by the Ku Klux Klan to resign the governorship...
. Seventeen governors occupied this large VictorianVictorian architectureThe term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
home until Governor DorseyHugh M. DorseyHugh Manson Dorsey was an American lawyer who was notable as the prosecuting attorney in the Leo Frank trial of 1913. He was also a politician, a member of the Democratic Party who was twice elected as the Governor of Georgia , and jurist, who served for years as a superior court judge .-Early...
vacated the increasingly rundown building for his summer home near the Atlanta Water Works in 1921. The old James home was demolished in 1923 and the Henry Grady HotelHenry Grady HotelThe Henry Grady Hotel was a 13-story hotel located at the corner of Peachtree Street and Cain St. in Atlanta from 1924-1974. The architect was G. Lloyd Preacher. It was named after Henry Grady, Georgia's most celebrated orator. It was built on the site of the third Georgia Governor's Mansion,...
was later built on that site, which is now occupied by the Westin Peachtree PlazaWestin Peachtree PlazaThe Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta is a skyscraper hotel in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, on Peachtree Street adjacent to the Peachtree Center complex and the former Davison's/Macy's flagship store...
.
- In 1925, the state acquired the granite mansion and estate of Edwin Ansley, located at The Prado in Ansley ParkAnsley ParkAnsley Park is an affluent residential neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia, located just east of Midtown and west of Piedmont Park. One of the first suburban neighborhoods in the city designed for automobiles, it features wide, winding roads rather than the grid pattern typical of older streetcar...
. That estate housed 11 governors before it was vacated and demolished in 1968, despite its historic importance.