The Utah Governor's Mansion (also known as the Kearns Mansion) is the

official residence An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...

of the

governor of Utah A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...

and family. It is located at 603 East South Temple Street (within the

South Temple Historic District The South Temple Historic District is a historic district that was the first to be listed in the Salt Lake City Register in 1976, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It includes 106 contributing buildings, includi ...

) in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

, United States.

Description

Completed in 1902 for

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

and mining magnate

Thomas Kearns Thomas Kearns (April 11, 1862 – October 18, 1918) was an American mining, banking, railroad, and newspaper magnate. He was a US Senator from Utah from 1901 to 1905. Unlike the predominantly Mormon constituents of his state, Senator Kearns wa ...

, the house was designed by notable Utah architect Carl M. Neuhausen, who also designed the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City. The elegant home was built using the finest materials by the finest craftsmen available, resulting in a quality and style similar to that of Eastern mansions like those of the Vanderbilts and Carnegies. The mansion also served not only as a home and a place for the Senator to conduct official business, but also as a venue for entertainment where guests would dance and enjoy the music of live orchestras. During this period many political and religious dignitaries were guests in the Kearns mansion, including President Theodore Roosevelt, who was a personal friend of Senator Kearns.

History

Senator Kearns died in 1918, and in February 1937, Jennie Judge Kearns donated the ''Kearns Mansion'' to the State of Utah. The mansion was donated with the condition that it serve as the Governor's Residence. For the next twenty years the governors of Utah used the mansion as their primary residence. From 1957 to 1977, the Utah Historical Society occupied the mansion as a library, museum, and office space. In 1977, Governor Scott Matheson proposed that the mansion be restored as a governor's residence and, after an extensive renovation, the mansion became a residence once again in 1980. On December 15, 1993, a fire, caused by faulty wiring on the Christmas tree in the main hall, destroyed much of the mansion. Governor

Mike Leavitt Michael Okerlund Leavitt (born February 11, 1951) is an American politician who served as the 14th Governor of Utah from 1993 to 2003 in the Republican Party, as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2003 to 2005 and ...

was not at home at the time, but First Lady Jackie Leavitt and her staff were quick to notify the Salt Lake City Fire Department, and their response kept the mansion from suffering more significant damage. A long and painstaking restoration was begun, to restore the mansion to its original state and salvage as much of the historical interior as possible. The $7.8 million restoration brought the home back to its original 1902 style, while providing many current safety standards, such as a fire sprinkler system, new wiring and plumbing, new heating and cooling, a security system, and seismic upgrades. The property is listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

as the Thomas Kearns Mansion and Carriage House. The listing includes both the mansion and the carriage house on the same property.

References

External links

Current page about the mansionThe mansion's interior design1993 fire damage and repairs I1993 fire damage and repairs II
{{Authority control Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Utah Governors' mansions in the United States Historic house museums in Utah 1902 architecture Houses completed in 1902 Houses in Salt Lake City Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Utah Museums in Salt Lake City 1902 establishments in Utah National Register of Historic Places in Salt Lake City

Description

History

See also

References

External links