Georgia Governor's Mansion offers Southern welcome
Published: Mar 2, 2009
Among the massive homes located along leafy West Paces Ferry Road, in a prestigious part of Buckhead, sits one house above the rest. For over 40 years this home has been the residence of the state's first family: Welcome to the Georgia Governor's Mansion, and come on in for some genuine Southern hospitality.
The Greek Revival-style Governor's Mansion is surrounded by 18-acres, protected by a guard house and situated on a hill, all of which entice visitors with a stately air. Built in 1967 (welcoming its first residents in 1968), the Mansion has been called home to the families of seven governors, including Lester Maddox, Jimmy Carter, George Busbee, Joe Frank Harris, Zell Miller, Roy Barnes and, currently, Sonny Perdue.
Though the mansion -- designed by Georgia architect Thomas Bradbury -- is three floors and contains 30 rooms, visitors must enter through the front door and are only allowed on the first floor. But it's more than enough leeway to be able to see the intricate architectural details of the home and its extensive collection of priceless furnishings.
The interior design is done in U.S. Federal Period collections, which were carefully chosen by a committee and are considered to be of museum quality. Magnificent chandeliers greet guests in the entrance hall, and priceless furniture dating back to the 1700s invites the look, but not the touch.
Just as everyday visitors are welcomed here, the first-floor is also used for official entertaining (while the restricted second-floor is the governor's family's private quarters). In fact, upon entering the mansion the first guest room, just off the foyer to the left, has been used by the entourage of President Clinton, Princess Anne, and Prince Charles in recent years.
The opulent State Drawing Room is where the governor often meets with guests for photo-ops. Across the hall, the Georgia Library is Gov. Sonny Perdue's favorite room in the house, according to the tour guide. It contains walls of books written by Georgia authors.
A fun fact about the State Dining Room centers on the table's chairs, which were once owned by the infamous antiques dealer, Jim Williams (of the book, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"). Williams sold the chairs to raise money for his murder defense.
The free tour is available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays begining at 10 a.m. It doesn't take much time -- but the guard will not let you in past 11:15 a.m., so don't be late and have your driver's license ready.
The tour is self-guided, although Mansion docents (tour guides) stationed in each room on the first floor are full of information on a particular room's pieces and architectural design.
- by Christine Foster, Atlanta Reporter for HelloMetro
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