Washington Governor's Mansion

Washington Governor's Mansion
exterior of the mansion
General information
Architectural style	Georgian Revival
Town or city	Olympia, Washington
Country	United States of America
Current tenants	Jay Inslee, governor of Washington and the governor's family
Construction started	1908
Completed	1909
Design and construction
Architect	Everett Phipps Babcock and Ambrose J. Russell

The Washington Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the governor of Washington. The Georgian-style mansion is located on the grounds of the State Capitol campus in the capital city Olympia. It is on the crest of Capitol Point, with a view of mountains, ocean, and the city.

The mansion was designed in 1908 by the architectural firm Russell and Babcock of Tacoma. The residence was built at a cost of $35,000 and has 19 rooms. The cornerstone ceremony was attended by Governor Albert E. Mead, numerous dignitaries, state officials, and several hundred spectators. Mead never lived in the house, however; he was defeated in the Republican primary election of 1908 by Samuel G. Cosgrove, who served for one day (January 27, 1909) because he became ill and was taken to a spa in Paso Robles, California, where he died on March 2. Cosgrove missed the official housewarming and Lieutenant Governor Marion E. Hay, who became governor after Cosgrove's death, was the first governor to live in the official residence. All governors and their families have lived in the Mansion since.

Hay's wife, Elizabeth Hay, purchased $15,000 worth of furnishings from Frederick & Nelson, and many of these original selections remain, including a mahogany buffet, table, consoles, 18 chairs in the State Dining Room, and the grandfather clock on the staircase landing. In 1915, Governor Ernest Lister and his family moved out because they said there was not enough money to keep the house warm during winter. Electricity eventually replaced gas lighting in the building. The building was weatherstripped during the 1950s as part of renovations, but roof leaks, clanking radiators, faulty plumbing, and sagging floors persisted.