New York State Executive Mansion

New York Executive Mansion

An ornate brick house with a pyramid-roofed tower on the front seen from slightly below. In front is a flagpole and some tall trees, with shrubbery and a chain link fence at the bottom of the image, closer to the camera.

East facade in 2011
Location 138 Eagle St., Albany, New York
Coordinates 42°38′48″N 73°45′41″W / 42.64667°N 73.76139°W / 42.64667; -73.76139Coordinates: 42°38′48″N 73°45′41″W / 42.64667°N 73.76139°W / 42.64667; -73.76139
Area 9.9 acres (4.0 ha)
Built 1860
Architect Isaac G. Perry
Architectural style Italianate
NRHP Reference # 71000518[1]
Added to NRHP February 18, 1971

The New York State Executive Mansion is the official residence of the Governor of New York. Located at 138 Eagle Street in Albany, New York, it has housed 31 governors and their families. The Italianate building was constructed in 1856 as a banker's private home. Samuel Tilden became the first governor to reside in the house in 1875, and the state purchased it two years later.

Over the years, various governors have affected the residence. Theodore Roosevelt, for example, had a gymnasium constructed during his stay. Franklin Roosevelt installed a swimming pool in 1932. It was subsequently filled in when its building was converted into a greenhouse, but Mario Cuomo had the pool restored during his tenure. Alfred E. Smith had a zoo built, and Nelson Rockefeller added the mansion's tennis courts. Twenty-nine consecutive governors had used the building on a mostly full-time basis until Governor George Pataki.[2]

After a fire in 1961 the possibility of building or purchasing a newer modern mansion uptown was considered, but Governor Nelson Rockefeller fought for restoration and was instrumental in getting the mansion named to the National Register of Historic Places.[2] In the early 1980s, the Executive Mansion Preservation Society was established to coordinate restoration of the home. Inmates from state prisons once staffed the mansion.[3]

In April 2009 Michelle Paige Paterson, wife of Governor Paterson, announced that as a result of efforts to "green" the operations and maintenance of the building and grounds, the mansion had earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the US Green Building Council. The mansion is the first governor's residence in the country to earn Gold status using the LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) rating system. The project encompassed almost two years and was initiated by previous First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer.[4]

The Executive Mansion has been the home of three men who became president (Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt), two who became vice president (Levi Morton and Nelson Rockefeller in addition to Theodore Roosevelt, who became Vice President before succeeding to the Presidency on the assassination of William McKinley), and four presidential nominees (Samuel Tilden, Charles Evans Hughes, Al Smith, and Thomas Dewey).

Free guided tours of the Executive Mansion are given on Thursdays from September to June at 12:00, 1:00, and 2:00 p.m. by reservation only. Tours for school groups are also offered.

See also

References

  1. ↑ National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 Paul Grondahl (March 27, 2001). "A Live-in Governor Both McCall, Cuomo Would Make Mansion Home if Elected". Albany Times Union. p. D1. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  3. ↑ Goodman, Ellen (December 10, 1967). "Elegance in Dedham". Boston Globe. p. A 21.
  4. ↑ http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/fl_0501071.html

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