The Tennessee Governor's Mansion , also known as the Tennessee Residence , in Oak Hill, Tennessee , a suburb of Nashville , is the official residence of the governor of Tennessee and his or her family. It is a three-story Georgian -style mansion that was built as a private home for William Ridley Wills and his family in 1929. It is on a 10-acre (4.0 ha) tract about 5 miles (8.0 km) south of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. The state purchased the house in 1949 and it has served as the home of Tennessee's governors since then. The house is open to the public for tours by advance reservation.
7-536: Conservation Hall was part of a renovation of the Tennessee Governor's Mansion . It is a 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m) subterranean meeting and banqueting facility built under the front lawn of the Tennessee Residence. It brings the Tennessee Residence up to modern standards for State receptions and dinners with its ability to seat up to 160 people. The centerpiece of Conservation Hall is
14-664: A separate application. 36°05′39″N 86°46′40″W / 36.094072°N 86.777658°W / 36.094072; -86.777658 Tennessee Governor%27s Mansion It is one of four official state governor's residences in the country that is not located within its state's capital (the others being Drumthwacket , located in Princeton, New Jersey , instead of Trenton ; the Wisconsin Governor's Mansion , located in Maple Bluff , instead of Madison ; and
21-592: The Ohio Governor's Mansion , located in Bexley instead of Columbus, Ohio ). The first renovation since the residence was purchased by the state was completed during the spring of 2010. The project was initiated in 2005 by Andrea Conte , the wife of then-Governor Phil Bredesen . For years, maintenance had been deferred by governors wary of alienating voters. Prior to the renovation, the slate roof leaked, ceiling and wall plaster had many cracks, lead-based paint
28-528: The architectural design competition because of their experience in sustainable design , as well as their unusual idea to hide the new construction underneath the front lawn, rather than compete with the existing residence. The Residence has been awarded LEED certification from the Green Building Certification Institute and the U.S. Green Building Council . The state plans to seek LEED certification for Conservation Hall in
35-473: The glass-walled oval atrium and courtyard that opens to the sky. The renovation project was spearheaded by Tennessee First Lady Andrea Conte . Her goals for the project were threefold: To better manage official functions at the Tennessee Residence, to protect the historical integrity of the property and the surrounding neighborhood, and to encourage energy-efficient operation and minimal environmental impact. The Memphis architecture firm, archimania , won
42-468: The guests of state to use. To address these problems, the Memphis -based architectural firm Archimania was selected to design what was to be named Conservation Hall , which was completed during the spring of 2010. It is a 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m ) mainly underground dining and meeting room capable of seating 160 people. The center of Conservation Hall is a glass-walled oval atrium that opens to
49-430: Was peeling, and the residence was still heated and cooled by the original hot and cold water radiator system. Two other major problems were the relative lack of accessibility for disabled persons, and inadequate formal dining/gathering space. The formal dining room seated only 22 people, but state dinners often had more than 50 guests. In those situations, tents were erected on the front lawn along with port-o-let toilets for
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