Louisiana Governor's Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Louisiana Governor's Mansion |
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| General information | |
| Location | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 30°27′32″N 91°10′50″W / 30.45889°N 91.18056°W |
| Completed | 1963 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Annan and Gilmer |
The Louisiana Governor's Mansion is the official home for the governor of Louisiana and their family. It was built in 1963 when Jimmie Davis was the Governor. The Mansion is located in Baton Rouge, right next to the Louisiana State Capitol and overlooking Capital Lake.
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Building the Governor's Home
The Governor's Mansion was designed by a company called Annan and Gilmer from Shreveport, Louisiana. The total cost to build it was about $893,843.00. The outside look of the Mansion was inspired by a famous old home called Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana.
Design Choices
Oak Alley Plantation has a second-story porch, but the architects decided not to include one on the Governor's Mansion. They thought a second-story porch might look too casual for the Governor's official home.
Even though the new Mansion looks like a Greek Revival building, it also has some features from the Georgian style. These include small windows on the roof called dormers, a special fan-shaped window above the front door (a fanlight), and a long window on the circular stairs inside.
Inside the Mansion
The Governor's Mansion is very large! It has twelve bedrooms and eighteen bathrooms. There are also two kitchens and a small kitchenette. For dining, there are two dining rooms and a breakfast room.
The Mansion has special rooms for official state events and other rooms for everyday business. There's a living room, a sitting room, and two areas for staff. The state troopers who protect the Mansion have two security stations. The Governor also has an office, and there's another office for a secretary.
Special Features Inside
Inside, you'll find a beautiful spiral staircase in the main hall. There's also an elevator that goes from the basement to the third floor. Small lifts called dumbwaiters help move things between floors.
The Mansion is about 25,000 square feet in size. It has a powerful cooling system to keep it comfortable during Louisiana's hot summers.
In the main entrance hall, there's a large painting called a mural. This mural shows different parts of Louisiana's history. It also has symbols that represent many past Louisiana Governors. The mural was first painted in the year 2000 during Governor Mike Foster's time. It was later updated to include symbols related to Hurricane Katrina and Governor Kathleen Blanco.
Outside the Mansion
The outside of the Mansion has white Doric columns on three sides. These columns are a classic part of Greek Revival style. On the east side, the columns are interrupted by a driveway that leads to an underground garage.
The building is made of special hand-molded bricks that are painted white. The roof is made of gray-green slate from Vermont. The front and side porches also use this same type of slate.
Unique Details
Some of the lamp posts in the parking lot once lit the streets of Plymouth, England! The cast iron railing on top of the driveway walls and at the second-story windows was inspired by a railing from an old house in New Orleans. The architects added a diamond pattern to this design.
Grounds and Location
The Governor's Mansion sits on about 8 acres of land. The grounds include a tennis court, a swimming pool, a vegetable garden, and a fountain area.
The Mansion is located at 1001 Capitol Access Road (LA-3045) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. You can visit the Mansion for tours, but you need to make an appointment first.
See also
