Although there is no scientific evidence to support this, I believe that one in every five homes in New England has a Governor Winthrop desk in some form. These are rarely seen today except in historical museums and collections.
Governor William Winthrop built the first house in Massachusetts on land he purchased in 1630. Today it is known as the "First House" because it is the oldest surviving home in Boston. Work on another house began but was not completed until after Winthrop's death. This second house is now called the "Second House" because it was built about three years later than its neighbor.
Winthrop was an important figure in early Massachusetts history. A graduate of Cambridge University in England, he was chosen by the General Court to be the first governor of the colony. He served from 1629 to 1649 during which time he helped draft the laws that governed Massachusetts for nearly two centuries.
After his departure from office, Winthrop lived in the Second House with his family. It was here that he raised his eight children. In 1656, shortly before his death at the age of 50, Winthrop bequeathed all of his property to charitable institutions supporting students who were unable to pay tuition at Harvard College.
Winthrop, founded in 1630, is one of the country's oldest settlements. It was named after John Winthrop, a Massachusetts governor, and John's son, Deane Winthrop's, mansion, which was completed in 1637, is now a historic monument and museum.
The house has six rooms on the first floor and two more on the second floor. It was built as a "townhouse" for the Wintons to live in while they managed their land. The family was very wealthy at that time; they owned slaves and had interests in shipping and mining too!
Winthrop is located in South King County near the border with Washington State. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area.
The population of Winthrop is about 5,000 people. There are many famous people from Winthrop including actors Jeff Bridges, Bill Moseley, and Mary Kay Place; musicians Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty; and football players Tony Dorsett and Steve Young.
This was to distinguish it from another New Winthrop, which was four miles away, that had been established several years before by a group of Puritans who had moved down from Connecticut.
The "new" and current State House, designed by Charles Bulfinch, has served as the center of Massachusetts government since its inauguration in 1798. It is next to the former location of the historic Hancock House and houses the legislative and executive branches. The building is a national landmark.
The State House was originally built for $700,000. Today it would cost more than $40 million to build again. The first stone was laid on July 4, 1798, and the house was completed eight years later.
Massachusetts's second capital city, Boston, is about 20 miles away from the State House. At one time, plans were made to move the capital back to Boston, but this idea was rejected by the people in a referendum vote in 1872.
Since the State House is the center of government, many important events have taken place within its walls. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson was elected president of the United States in a joint session of Congress at the State House. In 1825, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize civil marriage. Now all marriages in Massachusetts must be legal or invalid; there are no religious ceremonies allowed. The last election held here was in 2002 when Senator Ted Kennedy died after serving for forty-three years. He had been in office since 1962.
By establishing a colonial legislature, John Winthrop altered the governance of Massachusetts. This response has been proven to be correct and useful.
Winthrop's plan was not an abstract theory but was based on experience from England. In 1629, Winthrop went to London to ask for funds to establish schools and churches in America. He learned that the English Parliament was planning to pass legislation requiring all men over 21 to bear arms in order to fight pirates. Winthrop used this knowledge to convince the General Court to adopt a law requiring every man between the ages of 17 and 60 to own a gun.
In addition to being good policy, this law was also necessary because there were no police officers or jails in Boston yet. By requiring each citizen to protect himself from pirates and Native Americans, Winthrop ensured that no one would take advantage of him or his neighbors. This law is what enabled Boston to become a safer place to live.
John Winthrop believed that God had ordained America to be a place where people could live out their faith without persecution. After his return from England, he helped draft the Mayflower Compact, which established guidelines for governing themselves while they waited for news from England about whether it was safe to move to America.
The Household The Pennsylvania Governor's Residence is a 30,000 square foot Georgian Style residence created by architect George Ewing and built on the Susquehanna River. The Residence, which was completed in 1968, has housed eight governors and their families. It is located at 1150 W. Jefferson Street in Harrisburg.
The mansion is owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as part of its state government. It is not available for public visitation; only members of the governor's staff and their guests are allowed inside. However, the grounds are open daily from 8:00 a.m. to dusk. A small museum on site documents the history of the mansion and its role as home to seven governors.
In addition to the mansion, the surrounding property includes large gardens, a swimming pool, and several other buildings used for official and private purposes. The total area of the estate is about 40 acres (160,000 sq ft).
Although not officially designated as such, the governor's mansion can be considered the de facto capital of Pennsylvania. Until 1845, when Philadelphia became the official capital, Harrisburg was where all governmental business was done. Even today, many important decisions are made in Harrisburg without being announced in advance. The mansion is also the location where most new governors are inaugurated. They usually travel to either Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., for this purpose.
"Governor's Mansion" is a frequent word for a governor's official mansion, as it is for state governors' official houses in the United States. The word comes from the British office of governor, which originally meant "chief magistrate". In the 13 English colonies that later became the United States, the office of governor was usually granted to men who had been members of the House of Burgesses/House of Delegates or the Assembly, although some early governors were appointed by the king.
In most states, the governor's mansion is a house built for the governor when he or she moves into office. It may be a historic building that served as home to previous governors, or it may be a new construction. The governor's mansion can be any size from just under 1,000 square feet (92 m2) to more than 10,000 square feet (914 m2). It must be large enough to accommodate the needs of the resident and his or her family while still giving a feeling of spaciousness.
Some important factors to consider when selecting a site for your governor's mansion are climate, transportation access, security, and public opinion. All types of housing can be used for the governor's mansion, but they are usually not single family homes. Instead, they are often larger apartment buildings or condos.
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