Alaska Governor's Mansion

The original building was designed by John Knox Taylor. His concept was a modification of Federal Period Greek Revival buildings. In the Building Act of 1910, Congress authorized the construction of a dwelling for the governor and appropriated $40,000 to construct and furnish it. Construction, started in 1912, was under the direction of William N. Collier, an engineer with the Treasury Department, which then supervised all public buildings owned by the federal government.

The first governor to reside in the building was Walter Eli Clark and his family. They hosted the first public function in the residence, a New Year's Open House, on January 1, 1913.

The building was a 2 1/2-story 12,900-square-foot frame structure built over a full-size cellar. The first floor included a reception hall, drawing room, library, dining room, office, kitchen, two pantries, and a conservatory. The second floor contained four large bedrooms, a sewing room and three bathrooms. The third floor was designed as servant's quarters and had a large room that was to have served as a territorial museum, but it never did.

The entire exterior was completed in 1936 by plastering over the wood finish, painted white, giving the building very much the same appearance it has to this day, and which was the architect's original conception.

Major internal redesigning was executed in 1967-68 by Arthur Morgan Designers, Seattle, transforming the third floor into two guest suites and one large bedroom.

A major renovation of the Governor's mansion was undertaken in 1983. It included installation of new heating, electrical, plumbing and security systems; restoration of the interior design of the main and second floors to the original 1912 period, and refinishing the original wood floors.

Nine territorial governors, one secretary of Alaska (acting governor), and eleven elected governors (including Governor Hickel's two widely separated terms), have resided in the mansion.