Tennessee Governor's Mansion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tennessee Governor's Mansion |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Completed | 1929 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Russell E. Hart |
The Tennessee Governor's Mansion, also called the Tennessee Residence, is the official home for the governor of Tennessee and their family. It is located in Oak Hill, Tennessee, a town near Nashville. This large, three-story house was built in 1929 for a private family. It is designed in a style called Georgian.
The house sits on about 10 acres of land, about 5 miles south of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. The state bought the house in 1949, and it has been the governor's home ever since. You can even visit the house on a tour if you book ahead!
This mansion is special because it's one of only four official governor's homes in the United States that isn't in the state's capital city. The other homes like this are in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Ohio.
Making the Governor's Home Better
The Tennessee Governor's Mansion had its first big update in 2010 since the state bought it. This project started in 2005 because the house needed many repairs. Governors before had put off fixing things because they didn't want people to think they were spending too much money.
Before the updates, the roof leaked, and the walls and ceilings had many cracks. The old paint had lead in it, and the heating and cooling system was very old. Also, it was hard for people with disabilities to get around the house.
Solving Space Problems
Another big problem was that the formal dining room could only seat 22 people. But state dinners often had more than 50 guests! When there were too many guests, tents were set up outside on the front lawn.
To fix these issues, a special new part of the mansion was designed. It is called Conservation Hall and was finished in 2010.
What is Conservation Hall?
Conservation Hall is a large, mostly underground dining and meeting area. It is about 14,000 square feet and can seat 160 people. The middle of Conservation Hall has a glass-walled oval area that opens up to the sky.
This new part of the mansion is special because it is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified. This means it was built in a way that is good for the environment. It was the first governor's home to get this special environmental certification!
