The history of the Minnesota Governor's Residence

The Minnesota Governor's Residence, informally referred to as the Governor's Mansion, serves as the official home of the governor of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Located at 1006 Summit Avenue in Saint Paul, the house sits on 1.5 acres of land and is slightly more than 16,000 square feet in size.

Designed by Minneapolis architect William Channing Whitney for Saint Paul lumber businessman Horace Hills Irvine and his family, the house is an English Tudor residence featuring 20 rooms, nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and nine fireplaces. The Irvine family lived in the home from 1912 until 1965, when the Irvines' youngest daughters, Clotilde Irvine Moles and Olivia Irvine Dodge, donated it to the people of Minnesota to serve as the official residence of the First Family.

In 1965, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law accepting the donation and designating the house as the State Ceremonial Building for official public use and as a governor's residence. Since 1974, when it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, any renovation to the exterior of the residence must be reviewed and approved by the State Historic Preservation Office of the Minnesota Historical Society. In 2023, the mansion underwent upgrades to improve security features and update electrical, plumbing, and foundation systems, a project funded by taxpayers.

The house is managed by the Governor's Residence Council, which was established in 1980 to ensure consistent management. The council includes members such as the Commissioner of Administration, the governor's spouse, and representatives from the Minnesota House and Senate. A staff of five members, including a manager, a chef, and a groundskeeper, maintains the property. Every year, a forester from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources selects a giant Christmas tree from a State Forest to adorn the front lawn during the holiday season.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons