Pennsylvania Governor's Residence

The Pennsylvania Governor's Residence is the official residence of the Governor of Pennsylvania, in the Uptown neighborhood of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The neo-Georgian residence was built from 1966 to 1968 and designed by George M. Ewing, heading an architectural firm in Philadelphia.[2] The mansion is currently only used for official functions and meetings, because Governor Tom Wolf commutes from his private residence in Mount Wolf.[3]

Governor's Residence
General information
Architectural styleGeorgian
Location2035 North Front Street,
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
 United States
Coordinates40°16′39″N 76°53′55″W
Construction startedDecember 1966
CompletedDecember 1968
InauguratedFebruary 1969
CostUS$2 million
ClientGovernor of Pennsylvania
OwnerPennsylvania Department of General Services
Design and construction
ArchitectGeorge M. Ewing
Official nameGovernor's Residence[1]

The seven-bay brick front has a wide projecting pedimented central bay, in which a Palladian window perches on a pedimented doorway. The mansion is home to two Steinway grand pianos used for concerts and to entertain dinner guests. Every holiday season the house is opened for special tours.

The mansion is located adjacent to the Susquehanna River and flooding has proven to be a significant hazard. Water intrusion in the basement area is a frequent issue and the mansion has been evacuated three times since its construction due to serious inundation. The first and most serious time was during Hurricane Agnes in 1972 when then-Governor Milton Shapp and his wife Muriel had to be rescued by boat. The most recent was 2011 during Tropical Storm Lee.

The Lieutenant Governor has an official residence in Pennsylvania located on the grounds of Fort Indiantown Gap, 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Harrisburg.[4]

References
  1. "PHMC Historical Markers Search" (Searchable database). Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  2. "History". Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  3. McKelvey, Wallace (December 9, 2014). "Governor's Residence to remain open, even as Tom Wolf plans commute to Harrisburg". Harrisburg Patriot-News. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  4. "PA DGS". Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved December 7, 2011.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.