New York State Executive Mansion

New York State Executive Mansion
	; Postcard, dated 1907
Building
Architectural style	Italianate
Town	138 Eagle Street Albany, New York
Country	United States
Construction
Completed	1856

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The New York State Executive Mansion is the official residence of the Governor of New York State. Located at 138 Eagle Street in Albany, New York, it has housed 29 governors and their families. The Italianate building was constructed in 1856 as a banker's private home. Samuel Tilden became the first governor to reside in the house in 1875, and the state purchased it two years later.

Over the years, various governors have left an impact on the residence. Theodore Roosevelt, for example, had a gymnasium constructed during his stay. Franklin Roosevelt installed a swimming pool in 1932. It was subsequently filled in when its building was converted into a greenhouse, but Mario Cuomo had the pool restored during his tenure. Alfred E. Smith had a zoo built, and Nelson Rockefeller added the mansion's tennis courts. While some governors used the mansion exclusively for official activities, others lived there year-round. In the early 1980s, the Executive Mansion Preservation Society was established to coordinate restoration of the home.

Executive Mansion and grounds viewed from the Corning Tower

In April 2009 First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson announced that as a result of efforts to "green" the operations and maintenance of the building and grounds, the mansion had earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the US Green Building Council. The mansion is the first governor's residence in the country to earn Gold status using the LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) rating system. The project encompassed almost two years and was initiated by previous First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer.^[1]

The Executive Mansion has been the home of three presidents (Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin Roosevelt), two vice presidents (Levi Morton and Nelson Rockefeller), and four presidential nominees (Samuel Tilden, Charles Evans Hughes, Al Smith, and Thomas Dewey).

Free guided tours of the Executive Mansion are given on Thursdays from September to June at 12:00, 1:00, and 2:00 P.M. by reservation only. Tours for school groups are also offered.