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Utah Governor's Mansion
Anyone searching for a dream home, elegant interior-decorating ideas or greater appreciation for history and fine architecture should stroll through the renovated Utah Governor's Mansion.
Utah Governor's Mansion is decorated for the holidays.
Ravell Call, Deseret News |
After a fire in 1993, the interior of the mansion was restored to the original Victorian design, making it one of the finest examples of Victorian design in the country.
From the grand hall to the butler's pantry, ballroom to the library, finish work is tasteful but certainly not timid. Bold, rich Victorian colors and designs in paint, leafing, carpet and woodwork are evident throughout. A crowning focal point of the project is the restored gold-colored bronze- and zinc-leafed dome above the central staircase.
The outstanding work on the first- and third-floor public areas is complemented by appropriate efforts to make the second level more livable and safe for the state's first family.
The home was built in 1902 by prominent mining magnate and U.S. Sen. Thomas Kearns. The elegant home was often a political debating center where Kearns conducted official business. Using the finest craftsmen and materials available, the residence was comparable in quality and style to eastern mansions like those of the Vanderbilts and the Carnegies. The Kearns mansion also served as a grand and elaborate place of entertainment where guests would dance to the music of live orchestras.
President Theodore Roosevelt, a personal friend of Kearns, dined there in 1903, as did many political and religious dignitaries throughout the period.
In 1937, Kearns' widow donated the mansion to the state, and for the next 20 years, the governors of Utah lived in the mansion during their terms in office.
In 1957, Gov. J. Bracken Lee thought a new governor's mansion in Federal Heights would be a more appropriate executive residence, and the Kearns mansion was turned over to the Utah Historical Society.
Then in 1977, Gov. Scott Matheson proposed restoring the building as the governor's residence and after extensive work restoring the building to accommodate daily living and state functions, the mansion became a residence again in 1980. Govs. Matheson, Bangerter and Leavitt have lived in the home.
The mansion is open for free public tours on Tuesday and Thursday from 2 - 4 p.m. There is no charge, but tickets for specific days and times are required. They can be picked up at Council Hall across from the state Capitol, 300 N. State St..
The mansion is located at 603 E. South Temple and parking is available east of the Mansion off H Street behind the Arts Council Building. For more information call 538-1005.
Visit the mansion's Web site at www.governor.state.ut.us/firstlady/html/mansion.htm for more information.
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