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- Forty-five of the 50 United States have official mansions, which governors can live in rent-free while they are in office.
- But the mansions aren’t just a roof over their heads. These sprawling, beautiful, historic mansions are meant to evoke the pride of their states.
- Arizona, Idaho, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont don’t have designated mansions. They either give governors a housing stipend or nothing at all.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Like the White House, a governor’s mansion sets the tone.
After a long day serving constituents, governors get to go home to sprawling, beautiful, historic buildings. They’re welcomed by 20-foot entrance ways; their heels ring out on marble floors. If it’s been a particularly grim day, they can wash it away with a swim in their state-shaped pool.
These official houses, which are in 45 out of the 50 states, are meant to evoke the pride of their area. Arizona, Idaho, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont are the unlucky states without a designated mansion.
Life in the mansions is more public than a normal home. Visitors can often take tours, and security can be heavy. Careful household budgeting is necessary to avoid criticism from the media or constituents. Some governors have chastised reporters for calling it a mansion, and told them to call it a "residence" instead.
The National Governors Association even published a manual on how to navigate an elected life of, at least what looks like, luxury.
Here’s what the governors’ mansions look like in every US state.
The Alabama governor’s mansion is in Montgomery.
Carol M. Highsmith / Buyenlarge / Getty
Alabama’s 112-year-old state mansion, with a grand staircase and four Corinthian columns, has been the residence of the governor since 1951. The mansion is two floors and 8,500 square feet.
In the 1970s, a state-shaped swimming pool, a guest house, and a water feature were added.
The Alaska governor’s mansion is in Juneau.
Wikimedia
The mansion was built for $40,000 in 1912. To deal with the cold, the 12,900-square-foot house has eight fireplaces for its 26 rooms. Above a winding staircase hangs a large painting of Russian emperor Peter the Great, who was responsible for Russia discovering Alaska. The painting has BB-gun bullets near Peter’s eyes, and there has been a decades-long controversy over who pulled the trigger.
Since 1913, the mansion has opened to the public once a year for a tour at Christmas.
Arizona used to have a governor’s mansion in Prescott.
Wikimedia
Arizona does not currently have a governor’s mansion, but it did once. A 150-year-old log cabin on the Sharlot Hall Museum campus used to be the governor’s mansion in Prescott. It was only used for about two years before the capital moved to Tucson.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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Source: Business Insider – feedback@businessinsider.com (James Pasley)