Virginia Governor's Mansion - Richmond

The Virginia Governor’s Mansion, also known as the Executive Mansion, is located in Court Square in Richmond, Virginia.  The mansion, completed in 1813, was designed by architect Alexander Parris and built by Christopher Tompkins.  The former governor’s home stood on this same spot and was constructed after Richmond became the capitol of Virginia in 1779.  Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Harrison, Henry Lighthorse Lee and James Monroe all lived here during that time.  In 1811 it was James Monroe who signed the paperwork which began the process of constructing a new mansion.  In 1813 James Barbour became the first governor to occupy the new mansion, and it has been home to every Virginia governor since that time, including future president John Tyler, making it the oldest continuously occupied official governor’s residence in the United States.  Among the list of guests at the mansion have been Queen Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, William Howard Taft, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.  The home was restored in 1989 to its 1830 appearance.  The Virginia Governor’s Mansion was added to the Virginia Landmarks Register in 1968, the National Register of Historic Places in 1969 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1988.

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