Florida Governor's Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Florida Governor's Mansion
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | 700 North Adams St, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America |
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| Area | 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) |
| Built | 1956 |
| Architect | Marion Sims Wyeth |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000618 |
| Added to NRHP | July 20, 2006 |
The Florida Governor's Mansion is a special home in Tallahassee, Florida. It is the official place where the governor of Florida lives and works. People sometimes call it the People's House of Florida. This important building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on July 20, 2006, because of its history.
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Mansion Design and Size
The Governor's Mansion was designed by an architect named Marion Sims Wyeth. He made it look a lot like Andrew Jackson's famous home, The Hermitage, in Tennessee. The mansion has 30 rooms inside. It also has about 15,000 square feet (1,394 square meters) of living space. The entire property covers about 1.5 acres (0.6 hectares) of land.
Caring for the Mansion's Treasures
A group called the Governor's Mansion Commission helps take care of all the furniture and old items inside the mansion. This group has eight members. Their job is to keep track of all the beautiful antique furniture, decorations, and other special objects. They make sure everything used or shown in the public rooms of the mansion is well-maintained.
Visiting the Governor's Home
You can take public tours of the Florida Governor's Mansion throughout the year. These tours last about 30 minutes. Friendly volunteers from the Governor's Mansion Docent Program lead the tours. They also welcome school groups who want to learn about the mansion. If you want to visit, the mansion's curator helps arrange all the tour requests.
Park and Florida's Finest Sculpture
Right across the street from the mansion is a park with a special bronze sculpture. It is called "Florida's Finest." This sculpture was shown to the public in April 1998. It was dedicated to the children of Florida by Governor Lawton Chiles and his wife. The sculpture shows five life-size children and a dog playing "Follow the Leader" on some fallen logs.
History of the Governor's Mansion
For many years after Florida became a state in 1845, governors often lived in hotels or rented rooms. In 1905, the state decided to build an official home for the governor. They spent $25,000 on it, and it was finished in 1907. A banker named George Saxon donated the land for the house. The first mansion had a Neoclassical style outside and a Georgian style inside, with 14 rooms.
A Governor's Unique Guests
One interesting story from the first mansion involves a man named Sidney J. Catts. In 1915, he visited Governor Park Trammell at the mansion. Reverend Catts was very curious about the house. He asked many questions and explored everywhere, even the attic! Before he left, he asked Governor Trammell how much the house cost him. The Governor replied that it was free, paid for by Florida taxpayers. A few weeks later, Reverend Catts decided to run for governor and won in 1916. When he moved in, he brought his pig, milk cow, and chickens to live at the mansion!
Building a New Home
The first mansion was home to fifteen governors and their families. But by 1955, it was getting too small and had some structural problems. Governor Fuller Warren, who served from 1949 to 1953, even called it the "State Shack." In 1953, the state set aside $250,000 for a new mansion. The plan was approved in 1955. Many items from the old mansion were sold to help buy new things for the new home.
Marion Sims Wyeth, a famous architect, was chosen to design the new mansion. He was asked to make the outside look like Andrew Jackson's Hermitage. The new mansion was finished in 1956 and cost $350,000, including the furnishings.
The first governor to live in the new mansion was LeRoy Collins in the spring of 1957. Governor Collins and his wife helped a lot with the new house. In 1957, they suggested creating the Governor's Mansion Commission. Later, in 1979, First Lady Adele Graham, Governor Bob Graham's wife, started organizing tours of the mansion. She also created the Florida Governor's Mansion Foundation. This foundation helps raise money to restore the mansion, its furniture, and its grounds. Thanks to their efforts, the Florida Sun Room was added to the mansion.
Modern Updates and Features
In 2006, another part was added to the mansion: a new 550-square-foot (51-square-meter) library for Governor Jeb Bush and his wife, Columba Bush. This expansion cost $500,000. The building celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2005, the same year it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2007, Governor Charlie Crist announced that a solar-powered swimming pool and a hydrogen fuel cell would be added to the mansion. Today, the mansion also has a greenhouse and a Manatee Sculpture Garden. It is located next to a private park.
On August 30, 2023, a large oak tree fell on the front of the building during Hurricane Idalia. Luckily, no one was hurt, and there was no serious damage to the mansion.
