Governor's Mansion State Historic Park
Encyclopedia
Governor's Mansion State Historic Park is the location of Historic Governor's Mansion of California, the former official home of the Governor of California
. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Located at 1526 H Street in Sacramento
, the mansion is now used primarily for public and state ceremonies and events. George Pardee
was the first governor to live in the house; Ronald Reagan
, who lived in it for only four months, was the last.
The thirty-room Second Empire-Italianate Victorian
mansion was built in 1877 for local hardware merchant Albert Gallatin. The State of California purchased the house in 1903 to serve as a governor's mansion. Many furnishings remain from former governors, including Pardee's 1902 Steinway
piano, velvet chairs and sofas belonging to Governor Hiram Johnson
, and Persian rugs bought by Mrs. Earl Warren. The structure has been renovated a number of times.
The house is open daily to guided public tours, on the hour, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Currently, the state of California does not have an official residence or mansion for its governor. The state had built a governor's residence in the Sacramento suburb of Carmichael
, which was completed just as Reagan left office. Jerry Brown
, who succeeded Reagan, refused to live in the house and it was sold by the state in 1982. Brown lived in a sparsely furnished "bachelor pad" during his first two terms as Governor from 1975 to 1983. When Brown became Governor again in 2011, he opted to live in a 1450 square feet (134.7 m²) downtown loft.
George Deukmejian
, Pete Wilson
, and Gray Davis
all lived in different Carmichael residences. Arnold Schwarzenegger
stayed in a hotel suite (Hyatt Regency Sacramento) near The Capitol
when he was in Sacramento, but ordinarily commuted each day by private plane from his home in the Brentwood area
of Los Angeles
.
The Governor's Mansion State Historic Park is one of the 48 California state parks which was proposed for closure in January 2008 by California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as part of a deficit reduction program.
. It is located next to Ancil Hoffman Golf Course, the 11,000-12,000 square foot home is located at the end of (6232) Gobernadores Lane and accessed via a gate at 2300 California Avenue. The home overlooks the American River
.
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
. The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Located at 1526 H Street in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
, the mansion is now used primarily for public and state ceremonies and events. George Pardee
George Pardee
George Cooper Pardee was an American doctor of medicine and politician. The 21st Governor of California, holding office from January 7, 1903, to January 9, 1907, Pardee was the second native-born Californian to assume the governorship, after Romualdo Pacheco, and the first governor born in...
was the first governor to live in the house; Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, who lived in it for only four months, was the last.
The thirty-room Second Empire-Italianate Victorian
Victorian architecture
The 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...
mansion was built in 1877 for local hardware merchant Albert Gallatin. The State of California purchased the house in 1903 to serve as a governor's mansion. Many furnishings remain from former governors, including Pardee's 1902 Steinway
Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
piano, velvet chairs and sofas belonging to Governor Hiram Johnson
Hiram Johnson
Hiram Warren Johnson was a leading American progressive and later isolationist politician from California; he served as the 23rd Governor from 1911 to 1917, and as a United States Senator from 1917 to 1945.-Early life:...
, and Persian rugs bought by Mrs. Earl Warren. The structure has been renovated a number of times.
The house is open daily to guided public tours, on the hour, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Currently, the state of California does not have an official residence or mansion for its governor. The state had built a governor's residence in the Sacramento suburb of Carmichael
Carmichael, California
Carmichael is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 61,762 at the 2010 census, up from 49,742 at the 2000 census.-Geography and geology:Carmichael...
, which was completed just as Reagan left office. Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
, who succeeded Reagan, refused to live in the house and it was sold by the state in 1982. Brown lived in a sparsely furnished "bachelor pad" during his first two terms as Governor from 1975 to 1983. When Brown became Governor again in 2011, he opted to live in a 1450 square feet (134.7 m²) downtown loft.
George Deukmejian
George Deukmejian
Courken George Deukmejian, Jr. born June 6, 1928) is an Armenian American politician from California who as a Republican served as the 35th Governor of California and as California Attorney General .-Early life:...
, Pete Wilson
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton "Pete" Wilson is an American politician from California. Wilson, a Republican, served as the 36th Governor of California , the culmination of more than three decades in the public arena that included eight years as a United States Senator , eleven years as Mayor of San Diego and...
, and Gray Davis
Gray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
all lived in different Carmichael residences. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
stayed in a hotel suite (Hyatt Regency Sacramento) near The Capitol
California State Capitol
The California State Capitol is home to the government of California. The building houses the bicameral state legislature and the office of the governor....
when he was in Sacramento, but ordinarily commuted each day by private plane from his home in the Brentwood area
Brentwood, Los Angeles, California
Brentwood is a district in western Los Angeles, California, United States. The district is located at the base of the Santa Monica Mountains, bounded by the San Diego Freeway on the east, Wilshire Boulevard on the south, the Santa Monica city limits on the southwest, the border of Topanga State...
of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
The Governor's Mansion State Historic Park is one of the 48 California state parks which was proposed for closure in January 2008 by California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as part of a deficit reduction program.
Governor's Mansion, Carmichael
The former Carmichael mansion is now a gate community called La Casa de los Gobernadores in Carmichael, CaliforniaCarmichael, California
Carmichael is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 61,762 at the 2010 census, up from 49,742 at the 2000 census.-Geography and geology:Carmichael...
. It is located next to Ancil Hoffman Golf Course, the 11,000-12,000 square foot home is located at the end of (6232) Gobernadores Lane and accessed via a gate at 2300 California Avenue. The home overlooks the American River
American River
The American River is a California watercourse noted as the site of Sutter's Mill, northwest of Placerville, California, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush...
.
Further reading
- Joan Didion. (1979). "Many Mansions" in The White Album. New York: Simon and Schuster.