Executive Mansion (Virginia) facts for kids
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Virginia Governor's Mansion
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Virginia Executive Mansion in 2011
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | Capitol Square, Richmond, Virginia |
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| Built | 1811 |
| Architect | Parris, Alexander; Thompkins, Christopher |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 69000360 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 4, 1969 |
| Designated NHL | June 7, 1988 |
The Virginia Governor's Mansion, also called the Executive Mansion, is in Richmond, Virginia. It sits on Capitol Square and is the official home for the governor of Virginia.
This mansion was designed by Alexander Parris. It is the oldest governor's mansion in the United States that is still used today. Since 1813, it has been home to Virginia's governors and their families. This important building is recognized as both a Virginia and a National Historic Landmark. It has been updated and made bigger several times over the years.
Right next to Capitol Square is the Court End neighborhood. This area is home to the White House of the Confederacy. During the Civil War, the Virginia State Capitol building, also in Richmond, was used by the Confederacy. You can often take tours of the mansion on certain days each week.
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The Governor's Home
The Governor's Mansion is a special place. It serves as both a home and a workplace for Virginia's leader. It's a place where important decisions are made and where history continues to unfold.
A Look Back: History
When Richmond became Virginia's capital in 1779, there was no official home for the governor. So, Thomas Jefferson rented a house. The state was quite poor back then. They even had trouble paying the rent on time!
The law to build the current mansion was signed on February 13, 1811, by James Monroe. The building was finished in 1813. George William Smith became governor in 1811. However, he was not the first governor to live in the mansion. He sadly died in the Richmond Theatre fire while trying to save others in December 1811. His replacement, James Barbour, was the first governor to move into the new mansion. Even though the law didn't call it a "mansion," everyone has used that name ever since.
Modern Updates and Special Guests
In the 1950s, the mansion's gardens were redesigned. Governor Thomas B. Stanley asked a famous landscape architect, Charles Gillette, to do the work. Later, under Governor James S. Gilmore III, the mansion was updated and made larger. The goal was to make it look more like it did in the past. These changes also made the mansion easier for everyone to use, following the Americans with Disabilities Act. Plus, they added more living space for the First Family.
Anne Holton lived in the mansion twice. First, in the 1970s, when her father, A. Linwood Holton Jr., was governor. Then, again when her husband, Tim Kaine, became governor. Thomas Jefferson's daughter, Martha Jefferson Randolph, was also the daughter and wife of Virginia governors. But she never lived in this particular mansion.
As of 2024, Governor Glenn Youngkin lives in the mansion.
On TV: The Mansion in the Media
The Governor's Mansion has even appeared on television!
It was shown on American Idol during its fifth season. Governor Tim Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, welcomed Richmond singer and Idol finalist Elliott Yamin and his family to the mansion. This was seen by many people on national television.
Work done to fix up and remodel the mansion was featured on Bob Vila's Home Again TV show. This was during its tenth season, which aired in early 2000.
The mansion's most famous TV moment happened on January 31, 2006. Newly elected Governor Tim Kaine gave the Democratic response to the 2006 State of the Union address from the mansion. He spoke from the mansion's historic ballroom.
Famous Visitors
Many important people have visited the Virginia Governor's Mansion over the years. Here are some of them:
- Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VII)
- Queen Elizabeth II
- Rutherford B. Hayes
- Grover Cleveland
- William McKinley
- Theodore Roosevelt
- William Howard Taft
- Arthur Balfour
- Ferdinand Foch
- Winston Churchill
- Charles Lindbergh
- Richard Evelyn Byrd
See Also
