Mahonia Hall
Encyclopedia
Mahonia Hall in Salem
, Oregon
, United States
, is the official
governor's
mansion for Oregon. The building was acquired by the state in 1988 with private donations. It is also known as the Thomas and Edna Livesley Mansion, after its original owners. The house was renamed Mahonia Hall after the scientific name
of the Oregon-grape
, Mahonia aquifolium, Oregon's state flower. A naming contest was held by The Oregonian
in 1988, and Eric Johnson, a 13-year-old from Salem, came up with the winning entry. Other finalists were The Eyrie, Trail's End, The Oregon House, and The Cascade House. Governor Neil Goldschmidt
and his family were the first official residents.
The half-timber Tudor-style mansion was designed and built in 1924 by Ellis F. Lawrence
, the founder of the University of Oregon
School of Architecture, for hop farmer Thomas A. Livesley
. The structure includes a ballroom on the third floor, a pipe organ, a lavish wine cellar, and formal gardens — all of which were part of the original design. The home has 10000 square feet (929 m²) of space. Mahonia Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1990.
Mahonia Hall is located in the South Central
(SCAN) neighborhood.
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is the official
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
governor's
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
mansion for Oregon. The building was acquired by the state in 1988 with private donations. It is also known as the Thomas and Edna Livesley Mansion, after its original owners. The house was renamed Mahonia Hall after the scientific name
Binomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
of the Oregon-grape
Oregon-grape
Oregon-grape is an evergreen shrub related to the barberry. Some authors place Mahonia in the barberry genus, Berberis...
, Mahonia aquifolium, Oregon's state flower. A naming contest was held by The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
in 1988, and Eric Johnson, a 13-year-old from Salem, came up with the winning entry. Other finalists were The Eyrie, Trail's End, The Oregon House, and The Cascade House. Governor Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...
and his family were the first official residents.
The half-timber Tudor-style mansion was designed and built in 1924 by Ellis F. Lawrence
Ellis F. Lawrence
Ellis Fuller Lawrence was an American architect who worked primarily in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 1914, he helped found and was the first dean of the University of Oregon's School of Architecture and Allied Arts, a position he held until his death.Lawrence concurrently served as campus...
, the founder of the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
School of Architecture, for hop farmer Thomas A. Livesley
Thomas A. Livesley
Thomas A. Livesley was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. A successful hop farmer and broker, Livesley was known as the "Hop King" of Oregon. Livesley served as mayor of Salem and as a state representative.He was the original builder and owner of what is still...
. The structure includes a ballroom on the third floor, a pipe organ, a lavish wine cellar, and formal gardens — all of which were part of the original design. The home has 10000 square feet (929 m²) of space. Mahonia Hall was added to 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...
in 1990.
Mahonia Hall is located in the South Central
South Central, Salem, Oregon
South Central is a neighborhood in Salem, Oregon, United States, located just south of downtown. Major neighborhood features include Bush's Pasture Park, the Asahel Bush House and Museum, Deepwood Estate, Gaiety Hill-Bush's Pasture Park Historic District, South Salem High School, and Mahonia Hall,...
(SCAN) neighborhood.
External links
- Historic images of Mahonia Hall from Salem Public Library
- Images of Mahonia Hall from Building Oregon: Architecture of Oregon & the Pacific Northwest