In my never ending quest to keep life interesting and photograph things things that you don’t see everywhere else, I started taking pictures of state capitols, but then I thought… we have pictures of the White House, but what of Governor’s Residences. So, I have started to collect images of both. I hope to collect all 46.
That’s right, I said 46 because 4 states – Arizona, Massachusetts, Rhode Island & Idaho – don’t have official residences.
Ratings of Governor's Residences
I am rating the residences based upon their accessibility by the public. Perhaps it's just how things look because I've never seen anyone, other than law enforcement outside one of these place, but I rate them on a totally scientific scale based upon the following:Proximity to the capitol - are they affected by protests and easily included in the legislature.
How close can you get to the front door.
Did I have to ask permission from the State Patrol
Other subject/experiential criteria aka my feelings.
House Style - a mansion or just another house?
Score is 0 - completely isolated from legislature and the public - to 5 - across the street from the capitol and you could knock on the front door.
| State | Score - 0-5 | Distance from Capitol | How Close Can You Get to the Front Door | Law Enforcement Present? | Neighborhood & Architecture | Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3 | 1 1/2 miles | 10 yards, behind a fence. | No | Gentrifying neighborhood. Historic mansion | Fenced and gated |
| Alaska | 5 | 1/4 mile | 0 feet | No | Downtown & best house around. | Very approachable house in downtown Juneau. |
| Delaware | 4 | 1/2 mile | No problem | No | Intown historic & an old historic house | This would get a 5 easily except that the residence is largely ceremonial. In a state the size of Delaware, the governor can get to the capitol within an hour any time. |
| Florida | 0 | 3/4 mile | On foot - 10 yards; behind a fence | Yes | Antebellum mansion in a very nice intown neighborhood. | The blocks around the residence are blocked off to vehicles. LE vehicles abound and an officer stepped out of his car when I walked in. Fence prevented entering the yard around the house. |
| Kentucky | 3 | In the complex | No visible barrier | No | Capitol Complex in a Marie Antoinette Villa | Saw State Patrol everywhere and the real entrances are in back. The house is pretty ostentatious and Frankfort became the capitol as the highest bidder. |
| Maine | 5 | Across the street, not in the complex | Sidewalk outside house, 10 feet | No | Intown neighborhood and a nice Colonial house | In my mind the model for a governor's mansion other than it is not marked as the governor's residence. It is very accessible with little or no outward sign of LE. Very approachable. |
| Maryland | 4 | Across the street | 50 yards | No | Compact, intown neighborhood & a huge Colonial mansion | Annapolis is a very dense city in town so the residence takes up a large footprint compared to its surroundings. |
| Minnesota | 4 | 2 3/4 miles | 10 yards | No | Gentrified, mixed use neighborhood & an obvious old mansion. | Gets dinged for being so far from the capitol, but it appears to be a very approachable old house. |
| Mississippi | 2 | 2 blocks | 10 yards | No | Intown, old antebellum mansion | Entire block is an established perimeter so no walking right up to the door. Despite it's proximity to the capitol, it feels very isolated. |
| Tennessee | 0 | 8 miles | 100 yards | No | Upscale neighborhood well south of the city. Houses all have huge lawns and the residence is the only one surrounded by an iron fence. | Could be the worst governor's residence for public access. |