Executive Mansion - Raleigh, North Carolina - The Official Residence of the State Governor

The North Carolina Executive Mansion is located at 200 North Blount Street in Raleigh, North Carolina. Since 1891, the mansion has served as the official residence of the state's governors. Today the home serves as a prominent architectural anchor for the Blount Street neighborhood.

The warden of the prison, Col. William J. Hicks, supervised the mansion's construction. The use of convict labor was not new to state projects and widely used. Whenever possible, building materials were acquired from within the state. The bricks were made from Wake County clay and molded by prison labor. Many of these bricks, particularly in the sidewalks surrounding the house, still bear the inscribed names of the men who made them. The home's sandstone trim came from Anson County and the marble steps in front (later moved to the north side) came from Cherokee County. The oak and heart pine were shipped from all across North Carolina for use in building the majestic house.

Construction was completed in 1891 and today the mansion remains one of the state's finest examples of the Queen Anne style of Victorian architecture. Its many attractive features include a steeply pitched gable, richly colored textural surfaces, and elaborate turned woodwork.

The first occupant of the house was Gov. Daniel Fowle, who stayed from January 5, 1891, until his death on April 7, 1891. Governor Beverly Eaves Perdue was the twenty-eighth governor to live in the mansion. She is the sixty-eighth person to hold this office in North Carolina since the end of the American Revolution and the first woman.

The exterior of the mansion is quite grand and boasts brick walkways that lead toward the house. There are beds of flowers and blooming shrubs throughout. Oak trees and magnolias shade the lawns and small beds of holly and dogwood line the main walkway. Flowerbeds around the entrance to the mansion reflect the spirit of the Victorian garden. Colorful beds of plantings admired by Victorian gardeners, such as elephant ears and cannas, create a background for more traditional southern selections, including azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons.

The Southern Victorian Garden lies on the south side of the grounds and provides a private outdoor entertaining venue. The focal point of the garden is a hand-carved limestone fountain from Italy. Other gardens on the grounds include the Kitchen Garden, located behind the mansion at the kitchen entrance. The Kitchen Garden provides herbs for cooking and edible flowers for garnishing custom meals. The most recent addition to the grounds is a Vegetable and Cut Flower Garden. There is also Woodland Play Area that is located to the far rear of the east lawn. The area has play equipment, a birdbath, and birdfeeders. Artwork by North Carolina artists provides accents in all the garden areas.

The Executive Mansion has become a designated Raleigh Historic Landmark and open to the public for observation. Its first floor is available for tours on a frequent basis, particularly during the holidays.