The house was designed by
Minneapolis architect
William Channing Whitney for Saint Paul
lumber businessman Horace Hills Irvine and his family. The 20-room
English Tudor house has nine bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and nine fireplaces. The Irvine family lived in the home from 1912 until 1965, when the Irvines' youngest daughters, Clotilde Irvine Moles and
Olivia Irvine Dodge, donated it to the people of
Minnesota to serve as the official residence of the First Family. The
Minnesota Legislature in 1965 passed a law accepting the donation and designating the house as the
State Ceremonial Building for official public use for state ceremonial functions and as a governor's residence. The law placed the house and its management under the jurisdiction of the
Minnesota Department of Administration. From 1965 until 1980, governors were permitted to propose changes to the house. The Legislature provided renovation funds and the Department of Administration supervised the improvements. From 1965 to 1967, a committee assisted with furnishing the house, but the governor retained the authority to make changes. In 1974, the house was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. With this designation, any renovation to the exterior of the residence must be reviewed and approved by the
State Historic Preservation Office of the
Minnesota Historical Society. It is also a
contributing property to the
Historic Hill District. Every year, a forester from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources selects a giant Christmas tree, harvested from a Minnesota State Forest, often from near
Pine City, to adorn the front lawn during the holiday season. ==Governor's Residence Council and staff==