Tennessee Governor's Mansion
Encyclopedia
The Tennessee Governor's Mansion, located in Nashville, Tennessee
, is the official residence of the Governor of Tennessee and his family. This Georgian-style mansion was built for William Ridley Wills
and his family in 1929; the state purchased it in 1949 and it has served as the home of Tennessee's governors since then.
The first renovation since the residence was purchased by the state was completed during the Spring of 2010. The project was initiated in 2005 by Andrea Conte
, the wife of then Governor Phil Bredesen
. For years, maintenance had been deferred by governors wary of alienating voters. Prior to the renovation, the slate roof leaked, ceiling and wall plaster had many cracks, lead-based paint was peeling, and the residence was still heated and cooled by the original hot and cold water radiator system. Two other major problems were the relative lack of accessibility for disabled persons, and inadequate formal dining/gathering space. The formal dining room seated only 22 people, but state dinners often had more than 50 guests. In those situations, tents were erected on the front lawn along with port-o-let toilets for the guests of state to use.
To address these problems, the Memphis
-based architectural firm Archimania
was selected to design what was to be named Conservation Hall
, which was completed during the spring of 2010. It is a 14000 square feet (1,300.6 m²) mainly underground dining and meeting room capable of seating 160 people. The center of Conservation Hall is a glass-walled oval atrium that opens to the sky. It is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
-certified (the first governor's residence to be given the designation). The Tennessee Governor's Mansion is the only official executive residence in the United States to have an underground gathering space.
The house is also known as the Tennessee Residence and is open to the public for tours by advance reservation.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, is the official residence of the Governor of Tennessee and his family. This Georgian-style mansion was built for William Ridley Wills
William Ridley Wills
William Ridley Wills, born 1897, was a graduate of Vanderbilt University and a member of the Fugitive literary group. He worked for the Memphis Press, Memphis Evening Appeal, and the Nashville Banner newspapers before leaving for New York to become the editor for the New York World. He served in...
and his family in 1929; the state purchased it in 1949 and it has served as the home of Tennessee's governors since then.
The first renovation since the residence was purchased by the state was completed during the Spring of 2010. The project was initiated in 2005 by Andrea Conte
Andrea Conte
Andrea Conte is the former First Lady of Tennessee, the wife of Governor Phil Bredesen . She is a 1968 graduate of the University of Washington and a registered nurse...
, the wife of then Governor Phil Bredesen
Phil Bredesen
Philip Norman "Phil" Bredesen Jr. was the 48th Governor of Tennessee, serving from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected Governor in 2002, and was re-elected in 2006. He previously served as the fourth mayor of Nashville and Davidson County from 1991 to...
. For years, maintenance had been deferred by governors wary of alienating voters. Prior to the renovation, the slate roof leaked, ceiling and wall plaster had many cracks, lead-based paint was peeling, and the residence was still heated and cooled by the original hot and cold water radiator system. Two other major problems were the relative lack of accessibility for disabled persons, and inadequate formal dining/gathering space. The formal dining room seated only 22 people, but state dinners often had more than 50 guests. In those situations, tents were erected on the front lawn along with port-o-let toilets for the guests of state to use.
To address these problems, the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
-based architectural firm Archimania
Archimania
archimania is a collective of architects and designers in downtown Memphis Tennessee’s South Main Historic Arts District. The group was founded in 1995 and is led by Todd Walker, FAIA, and Barry Alan Yoakum, FAIA....
was selected to design what was to be named Conservation Hall
Conservation Hall
Conservation Hall was part of a controversial renovation of the Tennessee Governor's Mansion. It is a subterranean meeting and banqueting facility built under the front lawn of the Tennessee Residence. It brings the Tennessee Residence up to modern standards for State receptions and dinners with...
, which was completed during the spring of 2010. It is a 14000 square feet (1,300.6 m²) mainly underground dining and meeting room capable of seating 160 people. The center of Conservation Hall is a glass-walled oval atrium that opens to the sky. It is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
-certified (the first governor's residence to be given the designation). The Tennessee Governor's Mansion is the only official executive residence in the United States to have an underground gathering space.
The house is also known as the Tennessee Residence and is open to the public for tours by advance reservation.
External links
- Tour the Tennessee Residence
- http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/sep/29/memphians-plan-mansion-change/
- http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/governor/Residence.do