Mahonia Hall

T. A. Livesley House
Locator map
Locator map
Location in Salem, Oregon
Locator map
Locator map
Mahonia Hall (Oregon)
Location533 Lincoln Street S
Salem, Oregon, U.S.
Coordinates44°55′33″N 123°03′02″W / 44.9257°N 123.0505°W / 44.9257; -123.0505
Area0.81 acres (0.33 ha)[1]
Built1924
ArchitectEllis F. Lawrence
Architectural styleTudor Revival
NRHP reference No.90000684
Added to NRHPApril 26, 1990

Mahonia Hall is the official residence of the governor of Oregon, in Oregon's capital city, Salem. The state acquired the building in 1988 with private donations. It is also known as the T. A. Livesley House or Thomas and Edna Livesley Mansion, after its original owners.[2] The house was renamed Mahonia Hall after the scientific name of the Oregon-grape, Mahonia aquifolium, Oregon's state flower.[3] The Oregonian held a naming contest in 1988, and Eric Johnson, a 13-year-old from Salem, came up with the winning entry.[4] Other finalists were The Eyrie, Trail's End, The Oregon House, and The Cascade House.[4] Governor Neil Goldschmidt and his family were the first official residents.[2]

The half-timber Tudor-style mansion was designed and built in 1924 by Ellis F. Lawrence, the founder of the University of Oregon School of Architecture, for hop farmer Thomas A. Livesley. The structure includes a ballroom on the third floor, a pipe organ, a wine cellar, and formal gardens; all were part of the original design. The home has 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of space.[4] Mahonia Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.[5][1]

Governor Tina Kotek now resides in the mansion. [6]

  1. ^ a b Stricker, Nahani A. (February 16, 1990), National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Livesley, T. A., House (PDF), archived from the original on April 26, 2022, retrieved October 25, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Highway - Geo-Environmental Section: Architecture". Oregon Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on May 6, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  3. ^ Mershon, Helen L. "Very Oregon: Mahonia Hall, the Official Residence of Oregon's Governors, Gets a Classic, New Look". The Oregonian.
  4. ^ a b c Filips, Janet (April 1, 1988). "Oregon Children Dream up Monikers for the New House for the Governor". The Oregonian.
  5. ^ National Park Service (May 4, 1990), Weekly List of Listed Properties: 4/23/90 through 4/28/90 (PDF), archived (PDF) from the original on April 24, 2016, retrieved October 25, 2015.
  6. ^ "Gov. Tina Kotek sells North Portland home, moves to Mahonia Hall". September 21, 2023.