Nearly all of the state and territory in the U.S. have an executive residence for the governor and First Family . These homes serve not only as the primary residence for each nation ’s First Family , but also as that country ’s human face to the commonwealth . For the past 110 years , North Carolina ’s First Family has be in the Executive Mansion . In 2000 , when this clause was written , the star sign was occupied by Governor James B. Hunt Jr. and his family . Governor Hunt was the twenty-sixth governor to live in the Executive Mansion and the 66th governor to serve North Carolina since the closing of the American Revolutionary War . When he left function in 2001 , Governor Hunt had completed an unprecedented fourth terminus as North Carolina ’s regulator .
In addition to being the First Family ’s primary residence , the mansion is also server to tour schoolhouse children and visitor , and reception and dinners for invited dignitaries , country officials , and civil governing body . In this variation ofHow Stuff Works , we ’ll take a peep into the historical North Carolina Executive Mansion and see the mansion staff ’s behind - the - scenes preparations for an executive state dinner party !
History of the Executive Mansion
Prior to the eighties , North Carolina ’s First Families live in various easterly North Carolina locations . The first prescribed abidance of North Carolina ’s governors wasTryon Palace , a Georgian - style colonial mansion located in New Bern , N.C. When the state general assembly established Raleigh as the body politic ’s cap in 1792 , the Governor ’s Palace was build up in downtownRaleigh . This 2nd executive residence was a heavy brick sign with elaborate bloodless columns set up in 1816 . The home serve up 20 of North Carolina ’s governors and serve as Union General William T. Sherman ’s HQ during his Civil War hunting expedition through the state . By the early 1860s , the home was in severe disrepair and was no longer suited for the governor ’s residence . From 1865 - 1891 , North Carolina governors had torenttheir own homes in Raleigh , or stay at the Yarborough House , a downtown residence . Today , theMemorial Auditoriumin Raleigh is located on the lot where the Governor ’s Palace once stood .
The current Executive Mansion was start in 1883 and complete in 1891 in the Queen Anne gingerbread bungalow style of Victorian architecture . It has virtually 35,000 square feet of living , power , basement , and memory areas . Most of the construction materials for the house are North Carolina product . Exterior and internal woodwork are local eye pine , the sandstone trim came from Anson County , marble footprint on the northward side of the house are from Cherokee County , and the exterior bricks were made from Wake County flushed Henry Clay and molded by prison labor . Many of the bricks , peculiarly in the sidewalks besiege the house , still deport the name of the laborers who made them . There are more than 50 rooms throughout the house and the first level public area consists of six rooms plus the Grand Hallway .
Today , the mansion is a majestic place for harbour turgid and small-scale group , as well as a comfy place for private nation byplay meetings . With its stunning computer architecture , symbolic diachronic and cultural significance , warm charm , and breath - taking midland design , the Executive Mansion has issue forth to embody the pride and history of North Carolina .
The mansion ’s chief floor ( the public floor ) is decorated in copious Green , burgundy , and gold , with period piece of furniture and decorations from across North Carolina . During the first and 2nd Hunt administration , Mrs. Hunt worked to make the sign more accessible to the people , including opening the house during the Christmas holidays . In late years , the mansion has been importantly revive and modernized , including regenerate the Governor ’s Library ( which involved stripping over 20 coats of paint off the original woodworking ) , translate the east sort porch into a light - filled glassed - in Morning Room , replacing the slate roofing tile roof , gilding the walls in the Ballroom , adding handicap admittance , and redecorating the Ladies Parlor .
For entertaining , the hall has the Ballroom and the Dining Room . The mansion Ballroom is a fantastic elbow room with aged hardwood floor , begild rampart palm , heavy gold drapes , two bring open fireplace , twinned Sheffield chandeliers , and four mirror . The Ballroom has a balanced , symmetric design , and is located between the Governor ’s Library and the Gentlemen ’s Parlor on the south side of the mansion . French doors at the south ending of the room conduce out into the South garden , a adorable , individual garden full of lush heyday and shade Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
The mansion Dining Room is an elegant , intimate room for receptions and pocket-size dinner . The Venetian red banquet table can seat 24 . The room is a beautiful colonial blue , highlight by an Austrian crystal chandelier which has engild metal and tinted prisms .
The Martin administration , which came in between Governor Hunt ’s second and third terms , enhanced the mansion house footing and established the beautiful Victorian garden on the south end of the home . In the most late Hunt presidency , Mrs. Hunt extended tour minute and special tour of duty for those with ocular , hearing , or other handicaps . According to the Executive Mansion Fine Arts Committee , " more North Carolina school children inspect the mansion now than ever before . "
The Mansion Staff
In addition to the personal staff of the regulator and first gentlewoman , the executive director mansion house has many others who pride themselves in retain the residence running . The North Carolina State Highway Patrol provides security and has officer in the star sign on Executive Detail . Because of their extended preparation and study point , these officers are often bring up to asSuper trooper , and they provide security for the executive grounds , the Governor and First Lady , and mansion guests . " It learn a long time to get here , even after you apply , " say one officer . " It ’s a Book of Job you take because you love it . "
Another important grouping of mass in the mansion are the tour guides , ordocents . The docent put in more than 1,200 volunteer hour each twelvemonth . The mansion is host to well-nigh 1,000 tour with node from all over North Carolina , the U.S. , and the reality .
Another entire part of the sign faculty are thetrustees . regent are men and woman remand in area minimal - security correctional facilities . They are responsible for many different function throughout the mansion , and many come to the mansion without prior skills . Vicki Cilley , Residence Manager under Governor and Mrs. Hunt , dedicates meter to train the trustees for the mansion . In addition to the regular mansion staff , trustees are responsible for mansion cleansing , gardening , landscaping , and even manipulate . While at the house , trustees gain science that they can utilize when they re - enter the work force . " I have one regent in the kitchen right now , " enounce Cilley . " I ’m learn him about baking and he ’s so eager , so anxious to learn . That makes it worthwhile . "
Pre-Event Planning
The process for planning a state dinner party can get complicated . From setting a date to send invitations and coordinating seating musical arrangement , the mansion staff is very efficient . " communicating is primal here at the mansion , " said Cilley . " We must exploit as one well - oil machine . " A coarse date and time must be pull out from the governor ’s calendar , the mansion calendar , and the first lady ’s calendar . These calendar are filled in six weeks in advance and reviewed in detail each workweek .
Invitations
Once a common date is fix , Janice Shearin – who served as Executive Assistant to Mrs. Hunt – facilitates the invitation cognitive process . The sign prides itself on providing ok Southern hospitality to all who visit , and North Carolina ’s first peeress have the delight of direct amusement and events assort with the Governor ’s situation . Guests are asked to RSVP through a dedicate , automated phone wrinkle at the executive mansion .
At a state dinner , the governor and first lady typically sit at separate tables so they can better entertain their special guests . Every effort is made to admit at least one member of the Governor ’s staff at each tabular array . guest are seat eight to a board , understudy gender for variety . Once a guest list is finalized , the list is face to the governor . Shearin say that it is not unusual for a guest to cancel at the last minute , or to change their head and call that they will be coming . For this reason , position card are created at the last mo .
Preparation
In addition to discipline the residence ’s trustees , Cilley was responsible for mesa arranging , menus ( in concurrence with mansion chef , Steve Moravick ) , floral arrangements and tabular array setup . She said that some intellectual nourishment prep work can be done the twenty-four hour period before an event , so long as there will be no deterioration in the timbre of the intellectual nourishment . Sauces can be fix and refrigerated ; tangy shell can be made , scorched , and put in ; and vegetables can be cleaned in advance , make unnecessary valuable pre - event time .
While the Ballroom and Dining Room accommodate conventional events , more casual gatherings , such as lunch or an good afternoon tea , can be seated in the Library or Morning Room . Throughout the class , these rooms are decorated with oldtimer from across the commonwealth , let in period pieces that have been traced back to Governor Daniel Fowle , the first governor to go in the Executive Mansion . Cilley was creditworthy for coordinating the heedful move of antique pieces establish in the Ballroom . When larger outcome are control , seating can slop into the Gentlemen ’s Parlor or the Governor ’s Library .
Menu
The hall carte varies depending on the type of repast ( lunch vs. dinner party ) and who the node are ( military honoree , N.C. Business Council , Special Olympics Board of Directors , etc . ) .
Most dinners include three courses , depending on the chemical group attend , and limited consideration is always given to guests who have different dietary needs . Appetizers and unaccented beverage may be dish out if there is a postponement before the dinner party seats , and would be followed by the first course ( soup , salad , or an appetizer ) , the second course ( the entree ) , and the final course ( dessert ) . A full , stately dinner for 24 the great unwashed requires about 10 dog pound of kick filet and five heading of Romaine gelt . For dinner in the Ballroom ( up to 72 people ) , the kitchen prepares approximately 30 pounds of beef and 15 brain of Romaine lettuce . Wine may also be extend with each course .
One of the best kept secrets at the mansion is the brisk lemonade . Each week , a case of 115 lemons is squeezed to make the 30 gallons of lemonade for the mansion staff and visitors . In addition , the kitchen faculty also prepare 30 gallon of fresh iced tea for the staff and visitors each week . If lemonade or sweet-flavored tea leaf will be used for a mansion event , the amount made is double up .
The Festivities
As an event begin , security directs house traffic , someone from the sign of the zodiac stave greets guests , and trustee are available to check coats . " Regardless of what ’s going on behind the scenes , we want things to seem as effortless as possible , " suppose Cilley . The staff strives to achieve a instinctive flow for the eventide . Tables are assist one at a meter by four servers each carrying two plates while stave and trustees distribute to get an impression of how the guests are enjoying dinner , to refill iced tea and water , and to remind the kitchen faculty when the guests appear ready for the next course or for cleaning .
When the last node is gone at the close of the night – no matter of the time – the clean - up begins ! The dishes are put in the kitchen dumbwaiter and sent down to the commercial-grade dish washer locate in the mansion basement . board linen and napkins are sent upstairs to the laundry facility , and tables are aim down and stored . Any article of furniture that was affect before the event is put back into place . Tomorrow , the people will amount to visit the mansion , and the day will start all over again .
