CSP - Governor's Mansion

Governor's Mansion Circa 1920 -
Center for Sacramento History

Every drive from our home in Fair Oaks to downtown Sacramento included a view of the Governor's Mansion, which stands on the corner of 16th and H Streets.was occupied at the time. After Reagan abandoned the mansion it became a historic park, and I  toured it on at least two occasions over the years. 

The mansion stands three stories and is topped with a cupola.  One of the unusual features is the face of Columbia, the gem of the Ocean, which is found over every doorway.

In 1877 hardware merchant Albert Gallatin built the Victorian Gothic or is it an Second Empire-Italianate, various websites differ.  It was subsequently occupied by the Lincoln Steffens family.

In 1903 the state of California bought it for $32,500 to serve as a home for the governor.  Over the years 13 governors, starting with George Pardee,  and their families occupied the mansion, until after four months, Nancy and Ronald Reagan decided that they needed more modern quarters. In 2015 Jerry and Anne Gust Brown moved back into the renovated mansion, but once again it has been vacated by the governor as Newsom and his family moved to a house in Fair Oaks.

1. Historical Landmark #823
2. Governor's Mansion State Historic Park - Wikipedia
3. Calisphere - Governor's Mansion (173 images)
4. Trail Posts: A Literary Exploration of California's State Parks Read Joan Didion's essay Many Mansions.