Gov. Rick Perry and First Lady Anita Perry regarding the fire at the Texas Governor’s Mansion

AUSTIN, June 9, 2008 - "We are heartbroken by the fire that has ravaged the Texas Governors Mansion. It has not only been our home for the past eight years, but has stood as a symbol of Texas pride throughout its history. Though it can certainly be rebuilt, what Texas has lost today can never be replaced."

"We are grateful to all the firefighters who worked heroically to save this historic landmark and Texas treasure. And like all Texans, we hope that this remarkable building, which has served as the home for our family and other Texas governors’ for the last 150 years, can be saved and restored."

• The Governor's Mansion has been the official home of every Texas governor since it was completed in 1856.

• It is a two-story Mansion, done in the Greek Revival style of architecture. Six 29 ft. columns spanned the front porch of the Mansion looking out to Colorado Street.

• Its first tenants were Gov. Elisha Marshall Pease and his family.

• It is a National Historic Landmark.

• It is the oldest executive residence west of the Mississippi, and the fourth oldest in the nation.

• Sam Houston’s son, Temple Lea Houston, was born in the Mansion.

• In 1914 the Mansion stood in dire need of repair. During the term of Gov. Oscar Colquitt, the original kitchen wing was demolished to make room for an addition to the back of the main house. This included a new family dining room on the main floor and additional living space upstairs. A new enlarged kitchen wing was then built, completing the Mansion's basic floor plan which remains today.

• In the l960s, First Lady Nellie Connally guided the landscaping of the formal gardens still in use.

• 1979 was the last time major maintenance projects took place in the Mansion. Under Gov. William Clements, the house undertook a complete structural restoration.

2007- Present MAINTENANCE

• Maintenance projects have been underway since last October.

• One of the maintenance projects included installing a fire suppression system. The Mansion was equipped with a fire alarm system, but no mechanism in which to extinguish a fire, such as sprinklers. This project was not complete.

• Other projects included redoing plumbing that dated back to 1914; abating lead paint on the exterior of the Mansion; abating asbestos from window panes; and restoring historic shutters and window mantels that date back to Sam Houston’s time in the Mansion.

• Maintenance was expected to be completed and the First Family was expected to move back in Spring 2009.