Newly restored Gov. Mansion hosts event

AUSTIN (AP) - The newly restored Texas Governor's Mansion has been used for its first official event with some former residents invited.

• Photos: Texas Governor's Mansion

Gov. Rick Perry and his wife, Anita, on Tuesday hosted a luncheon and tour of the historic structure in Austin. Guests included former Gov. Mark White and his wife, Linda, plus relatives of several previous Texas governors.

Renovation of the 156-year-old mansion was completed last month at a cost of about $25 million.

The residence was nearly destroyed in a 2008 fire while the restoration process was under way. No one has been charged in the blaze that was ruled arson.

Historic pieces from the Governor’s Mansion Collection moved back into the home on June 20 in the first stage of the move-back phase. Owned and curated by the nonprofit organization Friends of the Governor’s Mansion, the collection was removed when the deferred maintenance project started in October 2007.

• View photo gallery of the restoration.

The restoration has been made possible by nearly $3.5 million in private donations and a $21.5 million appropriation by the Texas Legislature.

The Governor’s Mansion Collection is composed of historic state-owned pieces that have been in the Governor’s Mansion and museum-quality American antiques dating back to the earliest years of the state’s history, including:

• the bed used by Sam Houston
• Stephen F. Austin’s writing desk
• portraits of Gov. and Mrs. Pease, who was in office when the Governor’s Mansion was built in 1856.

The collection also includes the Governors’ Memento Collection, a tradition started in the l960s by Texas first lady Jean Houston Daniel.

Historic large chandeliers were installed throughout the first floor in mid-June.

The Capitol Visitors Center in Austin has an ongoing exhibit about the Governor's Mansion, updated regularly to show progress on the restoration.

What began as a deferred maintenance project of the Governor’s Mansion in October 2007 became a major restoration effort following a massive fire set by an unidentified arsonist in June 2008. No arrest has yet been made in the arson case.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the arsonist. Anyone with information related to the Texas Governor’s Mansion arson is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 800-252-TIPS (8477) or the State Fire Marshal’s Arson Hotline at 988-252-8477.