Gov. Jerry Brown, First Lady Moving To Historic Governor's Mansion
SACRAMENTO (CBS / AP) -- California Gov. Jerry Brown and first lady Anne Gust Brown will trade an urban loft for a historic mansion when they're working in Sacramento, the governor's office announced Friday.
The Browns and their two dogs -- Sutter and Colusa -- will move into the state's historic Governor's Mansion, which hasn't housed a chief executive since Ronald Reagan in 1967.
The white building constructed in 1877 features a swimming pool and was used as the backdrop to Brown's re-election victory in 2014. It has more recently been used as a state park.
According to the California's Department of Parks and Recreation, "Today's guests see marble fireplaces from Italy, gold framed mirrors from France, and exquisitely handcrafted hinges and doorknobs, all of which are reminders of the Gallatins and the Victorian era."
The mansion housed 13 California governors until Ronald and Nancy Reagan moved out. It's currently undergoing a $1.6 million renovation on electrical, heating and fire safety retrofits to make it suitable for residency again.
The Browns, who own a home in an affluent neighborhood of Oakland, are expected to move into the mansion after construction is completed by the end of the year. They currently stay at a downtown Sacramento loft with rent paid by private donations.
Brown rented a modest apartment near the Capitol during his first stint as governor in the `70s. Recent past governors had lived in a ranch home in the Carmichael neighborhood of Sacramento, although Arnold Schwarzenegger preferred a hotel.
Brown spokesman Evan Westrup said the mansion renovation is being paid for with proceeds from the sale of the previous governor's residence in Carmichael.
"This important renovation will serve the dual purpose of providing the state with an official residence for its chief executive for the first time since 1967 while at the same time preserving and protecting the historic mansion for future generations," Westrup said in a statement.
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