Oklahoma Governor's Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oklahoma Governor's Mansion |
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Exterior of the mansion
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Dutch-Colonial |
| Town or city | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 35°29′33″N 97°29′50″W / 35.49250°N 97.49722°W |
| Current tenants | Kevin Stitt, governor of Oklahoma and family |
| Construction started | 1927 |
| Completed | 1928 |
| Client | State of Oklahoma |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Floor area | 14000 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Layton, Hicks and Forsyth |
The Oklahoma Governor's Mansion is the official home of the governor of Oklahoma. It is located at 820 NE 23rd Street in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Building the Governor's Home
After Oklahoma became a state in 1907, lawmakers first focused on building the Oklahoma State Capitol. They did not immediately think about a home for the governor. Once the Capitol was finished in 1919, they started discussing a governor's residence. A spot for the Mansion had already been chosen in 1914. It was a piece of land just east of the Capitol building.
The land stayed empty for over ten years while lawmakers debated how to pay for the Mansion. Finally, in 1927, the discussion ended. Oklahoma was doing very well that year because of an "oil boom." This meant the state collected a lot more money in taxes. Lawmakers decided to set aside $100,000 for the Mansion project.
Of that money, $75,000 was used to build the Mansion itself. The other $25,000 was used to buy furniture for the governor's family. Two years later, in 1929, the state spent another $39,000. This money was used for landscaping and other outdoor buildings on the Mansion's property.
The Mansion was finished in 1928, just one year after construction began. The Oklahoma City architectural company Layton, Hicks and Forsyth built it. The Mansion is 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m2) and built in the Dutch-Colonial style. Special Carthage limestone was used for the outside. This made sure the Mansion's look matched the Oklahoma State Capitol.
Over the years, the Mansion's 19 rooms on three floors were changed to 12. This was done to create more living space. The rooms include a library, a parlor, a dining room, and a large ballroom. There is also a kitchen, a sun room, and five bedrooms. The governor and their family live in the five rooms on the second floor. Most of the furniture on this floor was given by Oklahomans. Since it belongs to the state, it will stay with the Mansion for future governors.
History of the Mansion
Governor Henry S. Johnston was the first governor to live in the Mansion. However, he only lived there for three months due to issues during his time as governor. Governor William H. Murray was the first governor to live in the Mansion for a full term. Murray was governor when the Great Depression started. He brought a team of mules to the Mansion. He used them to plow a large part of the lawn himself. He turned the grounds into a vegetable garden. Poor people were invited to plant vegetables there. There is a fun legend that Murray's ghost still lives in the Mansion, watching over the governors.
When Governor E. W. Marland took office in 1935, oil was found on the Mansion property. Lawmakers decided to put an oil well on the Mansion grounds. It stayed there during the 1930s and 1940s.
In the 1960s, a temporary landing spot for helicopters was added to the Mansion. This was so President Lyndon B. Johnson would have a place to land his helicopter. A concrete slab was quickly poured for the president's visit. After President Johnson left, the slab was turned into a private tennis court. In the next ten years, Oklahomans raised money for a private swimming pool. It was built in the shape of Oklahoma!
The Mansion Today
In 1995, while Frank Keating was governor, the Governor's Mansion was updated. Governor Keating asked ordinary Oklahomans to help with the changes, and many people did. To help pay for the project, a group called the Friends of the Governors Mansion, Inc was created to raise money.
A lot of structural work was done to make sure the kitchen could still prepare large state dinners. However, the red and black granite countertops from Granite, Oklahoma were kept. These had been put in during the early 1990s. The library's walnut wood panels and decorations were restored. They now look like they did originally and match the room's 1928 colors of rich burgundy, gold, and green. A Persian rug was added to the ballroom's original maple wood floor. The ballroom's windows, chandeliers, and decorations were remade to look exactly like the originals from 1928.
You can take tours of the Mansion on Wednesday afternoons. The Mansion is closed for tours during the summer months.
See also
- Governor's Mansion (Shawnee, Oklahoma), listed on the National Register of Historic Places
