Welcome to The Governor’s Residence

This stately and gracious house has been home to Connecticut’s governors and their families since 1943. The house was originally built in 1909 for George C.F. Williams, a Hartford physician and industrialist. It was designed in the Georgian Revival style by the Boston-based architectural firm of Andrews, Jacques & Rantoul and built at a cost of $337,000. In 1916, Hartford architects Smith & Bassett designed the north and south wing additions. The three-story home originally stood on 14 acres that included a grass tennis court, a greenhouse and a number of out buildings. It remained in the Williams family until 1940.

The property was acquired by the State of Connecticut in 1943. The first "official" occupants, Governor Raymond E. Baldwin and his family, moved into the house in 1945. Today, the 19-room mansion sits on six acres and has 15,000 square feet of living space with nine fireplaces, nine bathrooms, a pool and a pergola. The Governor’s Residence is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Through the efforts of the Governor’s Residence Conservancy, the house and its gardens have recently undergone extensive restoration and repair. Many of the furnishings and art that grace the Residence today are on loan from Connecticut museums, historical societies and private collections.

We are proud to be the twelfth First Family to reside here, and to be able to share this beautiful home with the many visitors who come to view and enjoy the Residence and gardens. We are grateful to those who continue to participate in the effort to restore the Residence and to maintain it as a reflection of Connecticut’s rich cultural heritage. Our special thanks to the members of the Governor’s Residence Conservancy and the tour guides who volunteer their service.

We hope you enjoy your visit to Connecticut’s First House.

Sincerely,

John G. Rowland	Patricia Rowland

Begin the Tour

All Photographs by Robert Benson