Mahonia Hall

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Mahonia Hall, at 533 Lincoln Street South in Salem, Oregon, United States, is the official governor's mansion for Oregon. The building was acquired by the state in 1988 with private donations. It is also known as the Thomas and Edna Livesley Mansion, after its original owners.[1] The house was renamed Mahonia Hall after the Latin name of the Oregon-grape, Mahonia aquifolium, Oregon's state flower.[2] A naming contest was held by The Oregonian in 1988, and Eric Johnson, a 13-year-old from Salem, came up with the winning entry.[3] Other finalists were The Eyrie, Trail's End, The Oregon House, and The Cascade House.[3] Governor Neil Goldschmidt and his family were the first official residents.[1]

The half-timber Tudor-style mansion was designed and built in 1924 by Ellis F. Lawrence, the founder of the University of Oregon School of Architecture, for hop farmer Thomas A. Livesley. The structure includes a ballroom on the third floor, a pipe organ, a lavish wine cellar, and formal gardens — all of which were part of the original design. The home has 10,000 square feet of space.[3] Mahonia Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.[4] Mahonia Hall is located in the South Central (SCAN) neighborhood.

[edit] Previous governors' residence

Before the purchase of Mahonia Hall, whatever house the governor rented became the "Governor's mansion".[5] Governors Atiyeh and McCall lived in the 1929 Stiff-Jarman House, an English cottage-style (also characterized as Arts and Crafts style)[6] residence currently located in the North Capitol Mall Historic Redevelopment area.[7][8] After the end of Atiyeh's term, the Stiff-Jarman House became the headquarters of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.[6] Today the building houses rented offices.[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Oregon Department of Transportation
  2. ^ Mershon, Helen L.. Very Oregon: Mahonia Hall, the official residence of Oregon's governors, gets a classic, new look. The Oregonian. Retrieved on 2007-04-26.
  3. ^ a b c Filips, Janet. "Oregon children dream up monikers for the new house for the governor", The Oregonian, April 1, 1988.
  4. ^ Unofficial National Register of Historic Places site (as the T. A. Livesley House, reference #90000684)
  5. ^ Oregon Historic Photgraph Collections
  6. ^ a b Oregon Historic Photograph Collections
  7. ^ a b Oregon Department of Administrative Services, New State Owned Office Space Available
  8. ^ North Mall Office Building, Department of Administrative Services, Sustainable State Facilities Guidelines Policy, Pilot Project Report

[edit] External links


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Official Residences of United States Governors


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