Washington’s red brick Governor’s Mansion dates from the early 20th century, a time when the concept of a Governor’s Mansion was gaining in popularity—especially among the young states of the West. Providing an elegant residence specifically for the governor was a way for a state to announce its importance and tell the world it had arrived.
The cornerstone of Washington’s Mansion was laid in August of 1908 by Governor Albert Mead, who was voted out of office before its construction was finished. His successor, Governor Samuel Cosgrove, was gravely ill at the start of his term and died before moving into the Mansion. It was Lt. Governor Marion Hay (now suddenly promoted to governor) and his wife, Lizzie Muir Hay, who first occupied the Washington Governor’s Mansion, moving their family into the house in the spring of 1909.
From its beginning the Mansion was designed with a dual purpose in mind, serving both as a space for public events and as a private residence. Every effort was made to use Washington contractors and materials. Bricks for the house came from Seattle; the lime for the mortar came from the San Juan Islands, the sandstone for the trim was quarried in Tenino, and the wooden roof shingles were manufactured in Olympia.
The task of furnishing fell to the Hays. Working with a legislative appropriation of $15,000, they continued the “buy local” effort by purchasing rugs, furniture, china, and flatware from a department store in Seattle. Very little of the original Hay furniture survives inside the Mansion. The grandfather clock on the landing, some bedroom furniture in one of the upstairs guest rooms, and the entire suite of furniture in the state dining room are Lizzie Hay’s choices from 1909.
Unfortunately, the Washington Governor’s Mansion did not age gracefully. Almost from the time it was first occupied, governors complained about the gutters, the roof, the peeling paint, and the inadequate furnishings. The house was partially renovated in the 1930s (most likely at Gov