# Does every state have a "Governor's Mansion" residence for the Governor?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 18, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000 "2006-10-18T20:30:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/1 "2006-10-18T20:30:18Z")
Just curious. Is there any American state without a Governor’s Mansion?
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/2 "2006-10-18T20:43:25Z")
Idaho is in the process of funding one. An article on that, dated 2005, mentions:
> [@](#):
>
> Idaho is one of six states without a governor’s mansion. It has not had one since the former executive residence was sold in 1990 after it fell into disrepair and past governors refused to live in it.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t tell us what the other five are.
[http://www.commercialalert.org/news/archive/2005/12/idaho-offers-naming-rights-to-donors-for-governors-mansion](http://www.commercialalert.org/news/archive/2005/12/idaho-offers-naming-rights-to-donors-for-governors-mansion)
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/3 "2006-10-18T21:01:39Z")
Apparently, Arizona is one of them.
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/4 "2006-10-18T21:05:14Z")
And Massachusetts. Somebody else can dig up the rest.
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### Author:  [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/5 "2006-10-18T21:15:23Z")
The capital of Florida is Tallahassee, which is in the panhandle, otherwise known as “the Redneck Riviera”. We don’t have a Governor’s Mansion so much as a Governor’s Double Wide.
:: ducks & runs from the Tallahassee Doper fallout ::
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### Author:  [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/6 "2006-10-18T22:03:41Z")
The list of states without a governor’s mansion is probably shorter. California is one notable state currently without one. The house that used to be the governor’s mansion in Sacramento is now a State Historical Park. Ronald Reagan was the last person to occupy it. While he was governor, a new mansion was built Carmichael outside of Sacramento, but Reagan’s successor Jerry Brown refused to live in it, and sold the place before he left office. Since then, the governors have had to find their own living arrangements. Arnold lives in a hotel suite when he’s in town.
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### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/7 "2006-10-18T22:16:15Z")
[QUOTE=fiddlesticks]
The list of states without a governor’s mansion is probably shorter. California is one notable state currently without one. The house that used to be the governor’s mansion in Sacramento is now a State Historical Park. Ronald Reagan was the last person to occupy it. While he was governor, a new mansion was built Carmichael outside of Sacramento, but Reagan’s successor Jerry Brown refused to live in it, and sold the place before he left office. Since then, the governors have had to find their own living arrangements. Arnold lives in a hotel suite when he’s in town.
[/QUOTE]
There have been half-baked plans to build a new one, the most recent of which called for building one in the city of West Sacramento, just over the Sacramento River from Discovery Park in Sacramento. My understanding is that state lawmakers are reluctand to spend a bunch of money on a new Governors mansion when the Governor has managed to get by without one for years.
Others have suggested using the recently restored Stanford Mansion in downtown Sacramento, former home of Leland Stanford, the former Governor of railroad and Stanford University fame. However, the mansion is now surrounded by tall buildings, posing a substantial security risk.
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### Author:  [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/8 "2006-10-18T22:16:57Z")
In fact, in 2000 the Governor of Arkansas and his family moved into a [triple-wide](http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/07/19/governor.triplewide.ap/) while the regular Governor’s mansion was being renovated. He and the first lady responded gracefully to the inevitable [media interest and jokes](http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=14103) that followed.
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### Author:  [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/9 "2006-10-18T22:17:08Z")
Vermont doesn’t have one either.
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### Author:  [@the\_PC\_apeman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_PC_apeman)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/10 "2006-10-18T22:33:31Z")
West Virginia has a [Governor’s Mansion](http://www.wvgov.org/firstlady/mansion.cfm) though doesn’t really come across as big or grand enough to live up to the mansion title. It is in a nice location adjoining (and just to the West of) our [capitol building and grounds](http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.336302,-81.612516&q=38.336302,-81.612516&spn=0.015,0.025&t=h). Almost interestingly, our current Governor is named Manchin.
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### Author:  [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/11 "2006-10-18T22:35:32Z")
[QUOTE=Bearflag70]
…However, the mansion is now surrounded by tall buildings, posing a substantial security risk.
[/QUOTE]
More so than a public hotel? :dubious:
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### Author:  [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/12 "2006-10-18T22:54:06Z")
[QUOTE=ShibbOleth]
The capital of Florida is Tallahassee, which is in the panhandle, otherwise known as “the Redneck Riviera”. We don’t have a Governor’s Mansion so much as a Governor’s Double Wide.
:: ducks & runs from the Tallahassee Doper fallout ::
[/QUOTE]
California almost didn’t have one. It was a square, two story house that looked just awful It didn’t have central air conditioning and in the summer weather of Sacramento that’s brutal. So they bought a whole bunch of window AC’s that hung out all over the place.
I think a better one has since been built.
Ronald Reagan refused to live in it and I’m all for him in that.
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/13 "2006-10-18T22:59:18Z")
[QUOTE=ShibbOleth]
The capital of Florida is Tallahassee, which is in the panhandle, otherwise known as “the Redneck Riviera”. We don’t have a Governor’s Mansion so much as a Governor’s Double Wide.
:: ducks & runs from the Tallahassee Doper fallout ::
[/QUOTE]
I’m guessing that was a [joke](http://www.floridagovernorsmansion.com/)
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### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/14 "2006-10-18T23:13:30Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867]
More so than a public hotel? :dubious:
[/QUOTE]
I don’t know how Arnold goes in and out the the hotel. I can only assume he comes in the back door or via underground tunnel from the capitol. Further, my understanding is that he occupies an entire floor pretty high up, so it would be difficult for evildoers to rain harm on him from above.
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### Author:  [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/15 "2006-10-18T23:20:09Z")
[QUOTE=ThePCapeman]
West Virginia has a [Governor’s Mansion](http://www.wvgov.org/firstlady/mansion.cfm) though doesn’t really come across as big or grand enough to live up to the mansion title.
[/QUOTE]
That looks exactly like one of the frat houses at Rutgers.
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### Author:  [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2006, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/16 "2006-10-19T00:07:41Z")
Rhode Island also lacks a governor’s mansion.
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### Author:  [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2006, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/17 "2006-10-19T00:40:18Z")
[QUOTE=KCB615]
Rhode Island also lacks a governor’s mansion.
[/QUOTE]
Not true! Rhode Island has a _very nice_ governor’s mansion in an eastern suburb of Providence called Seekonk.
Which is in Massachusetts.
just kidding!
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### Author:  [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2006, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/18 "2006-10-19T00:42:51Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867]
More so than a public hotel? :dubious:
[/QUOTE]
I can explain what I heard. If you go to Google Maps on Hybrid mode, look up Sacramento, CA. Go downtown. Zoom in at the corner of 12th & L Streets. The Capitol is immediately to the south. Look at the northeast corner of 12th & L. There, you will see an “L” shaped building with a greenish roof. That is the Hyatt where Arnold stays. There are no tall buildings towering over that hotel.
Now, go to the southeast corner of 8th & N Streets. There is the Stanford Mansion. See that huge building casting a shadow in the back yard? That’s the problem.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2006, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/19 "2006-10-19T00:49:56Z")
[QUOTE=astro]
Just curious. Is there any American state without a Governor’s Mansion?
[/QUOTE]
According to [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_residence#U.S._states_and_territories) list from Wikipedia, it seems that most states do not have a governor’s mansion.
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### Author:  [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)
#### Post date: [October 19, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-every-state-have-a-governors-mansion-residence-for-the-governor/377000/20 "2006-10-19T00:53:52Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn]
According to [this](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_residence#U.S._states_and_territories) list from Wikipedia, it seems that most states do not have a governor’s mansion.
[/QUOTE]
That list isn’t even close to accurate, as this thread shows.
For one, it’s missing Ketnucky’s Governor’s Mansion, which I know exists (I’ve seen it.)
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