The Governor's Mansion
704 Capitol Avenue
Frankfort, KY 40601

The Executive Mansion is situated on the east lawn of the State Capitol grounds on a bluff high above the Kentucky River in Frankfort. It was designed by Kentuckians C.C. and E.A. Weber of Fort Thomas, in 1912. The exterior was modeled after the Petit Trianon, Queen Marie Antoinette's villa near the Palace of Versailles in France.

The design of the Governor's Mansion was a product of its time -- the post Civil War Gilded Age of "conspicuous consumption." The building reflects the grand spirit of people who had not yet experienced a severe economic depression or a world war. Great care was spent on the design and the inter-relationship of every aspect of the Governor's Mansion with attention to exquisite decorative details executed in high quality craftsmanship. Historians have speculated that the advent of World War I interrupted the original construction before the interior and gardens could be completed.

The mansion is elegantly proportioned with a front portico that includes four pairs of Ionic columns. A stone balustrade and terrace make an impressive entrance to this historic building. The interior of the mansion reflects the eclectic interest in French Neo-Classicism typical of the Beaux-Arts period. Most lighting fixtures and decorative features such as the ornamental plaster and mantles are original to the building.

Including our current Governor, Ernie Fletcher and his family, 23 governors have lived in the mansion. Between 1980 and 1984, the chief executive's home was renovated to its original Beaux-Arts style, which included the simple formal garden based on the original 1913 drawings of the mansion grounds.  The Executive Mansion is a National Register of the Historic Places site.
 

The Governor's Mansion is open for public tours on Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. For tour scheduling or any additional information, contact the Capitol Tour Desk at (502) 564-3449.