National Register of Historic Places

Governor's Mansion

Marshall, Calhoun County, Michigan
Listed
January 8, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75000939

About this property

The Governor's Mansion at 621 S. Marshall Ave. in Marshall, Michigan is a historic house built in 1839 with elements of Greek Revival architecture. It is also known as Governor's Mansion Museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. In 2017, the house is a museum owned and operated by the Mary Marshall Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1839, Marshall citizen James Wright Gordon, recently elected to the state senate, began agitating for Marshall to be designated as the state capital. In expectation, Gordon purchased land across from where the Capitol was proposed to be built and constructed this house. It has been referred to as the "Governor's Mansion" since its construction. Gordon became lieutenant governor, and then acting governor of Michigan in 1841. However, Lansing was chosen as the new state capital in 1847, dashing Marshall's hopes. Gordon was later appointed to the consular service in South America by Zachary Taylor, and died there in 1853. Gordon's widow owned of the house until 1882, when it was purchased by Mrs. Flory Palmer, a local resident. She and her daughter, Bertha Palmer Brady, lived in the house for many years. In 1967, the Brady heirs donated the property to the local Mary Marshall Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The chapter converted the house into their meeting hall and as a museum. The "Governor's Mansion" in Marshall is a two-story white frame Greek Revival building built in a side-hall plan. It has a single-story rear addition. The main section of the house has clapboard siding on the sides and horizontal plank siding on the front. In the front is a wide Doric portico with a Greek entablature above. Under the portico are two vertically elongated sash windows, and a front entrance framed by pilasters decorated with carved acanthus leaves. A dentiled cornice runs across the main portion of the house. Governor's Mansion (Shawnee, Oklahoma): similar house in the proposed capital of Oklahoma Marshall's Governor's Mansion Museum - Facebook site

Location

621 S. Marshall Ave.
Marshall, Calhoun County, Michigan
42.26494, -84.95445

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Capitol Hill School
Industrial
0.1 mi
Marshall Avenue Bridge
Industrial
0.2 mi
Masonic Temple Building
Industrial
0.5 mi
Wagner's Block
Industrial
0.5 mi
Emporium
Industrial
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Governor's Mansion listed on the National Register?

Governor's Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 8, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Governor's Mansion?

Governor's Mansion is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Governor's Mansion?

The period of significance for Governor's Mansion is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Governor's Mansion?

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