Arkansas Governor's Mansion
Encyclopedia
The Arkansas Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the Governor of Arkansas and his family. The mansion is located at 1800 Center Street in Little Rock, and is included in the Governor's Mansion Historic District
, a district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Before 1950, Arkansas had never had an official residence for its governor.
During 1947 Act 257 of the Arkansas General Assembly
established a Governor's Mansion Commission with an appropriation of $100,000.00. The site was the former location of the Arkansas School for the Blind, which had relocated to new quarters near the city's neighborhood Pulaski Heights
. The architects were Frank J. Ginocchio, Jr. and Edwin B. Cromwell.
The architectural style of the mansion is Georgian Revival, colonial type. The main material of the exterior is brick. Construction began during December 1947 (incorporating 300,000 bricks from the original School for the Blind structures), and the Governor's Residence became operational officially on January 10, 1950. The first Governor to reside here was Sidney S. McMath, who occupied the residence in on February 3, 1950. Significant additions to the mansion were completed during the administration of Michael Huckabee
.
Mike Huckabee received great publicity when he relocated into a mobile home
on the mansion grounds during the renovation. "It's not a trailer. It's a triple wide," Huckabee joked. Huckabee told Jay Leno
that the 2,100 square, $
110,000 trailer (donated by the Arkansas Manufactured Housing Association) "was big enough for your chin." Huckabee said there were substantial cost savings by using the trailer, because the security detail would not have to be relocated to a new rented location.
In addition to its notability as an official state residence, the mansion's exterior has been featured as the exterior of Suzanne Sugarbaker's home for the CBS television series Designing Women
. During 2008, stock footage
of the mansion was used for the television program 30 Rock
to represent the home of a character played by Steve Martin
.
Governor's Mansion Historic District
The Governor's Mansion Historic District is a historic district in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and its borders were increased in 1988 and again in 2002....
, a district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Before 1950, Arkansas had never had an official residence for its governor.
During 1947 Act 257 of the Arkansas General Assembly
Arkansas General Assembly
The Arkansas General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 members. All 135 representatives and state senators...
established a Governor's Mansion Commission with an appropriation of $100,000.00. The site was the former location of the Arkansas School for the Blind, which had relocated to new quarters near the city's neighborhood Pulaski Heights
Pulaski Heights, Little Rock, Arkansas
Pulaski Heights is a section of the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, located in the north-central portion of the city. The area comprises two distinct neighborhoods representing a historic suburb dating from the 1890s, and was among the first areas annexed into Little Rock.Incorporated in 1903 and...
. The architects were Frank J. Ginocchio, Jr. and Edwin B. Cromwell.
The architectural style of the mansion is Georgian Revival, colonial type. The main material of the exterior is brick. Construction began during December 1947 (incorporating 300,000 bricks from the original School for the Blind structures), and the Governor's Residence became operational officially on January 10, 1950. The first Governor to reside here was Sidney S. McMath, who occupied the residence in on February 3, 1950. Significant additions to the mansion were completed during the administration of Michael Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...
.
Mike Huckabee received great publicity when he relocated into a mobile home
Mobile home
Mobile homes or static caravans are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied...
on the mansion grounds during the renovation. "It's not a trailer. It's a triple wide," Huckabee joked. Huckabee told Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
that the 2,100 square, $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
110,000 trailer (donated by the Arkansas Manufactured Housing Association) "was big enough for your chin." Huckabee said there were substantial cost savings by using the trailer, because the security detail would not have to be relocated to a new rented location.
In addition to its notability as an official state residence, the mansion's exterior has been featured as the exterior of Suzanne Sugarbaker's home for the CBS television series Designing Women
Designing Women
Designing Women is an American television sitcom that centered on the working and personal lives of four Southern women and one man in an interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. It aired on the CBS television network from September 29, 1986 until May 24, 1993. The show was created by head writer...
. During 2008, stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
of the mansion was used for the television program 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
to represent the home of a character played by Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
.