08/07/2026
This month's First White House "Sister Home" is the Alabama Governor’s Mansion, the official residence of Alabama’s chief executive and family.
This gracious, 117-year-old home possesses a rich history that makes it one of Montgomery and Alabama’s most unique landmarks.
The current mansion is Alabama’s second. Our state first acquired a residence for its governors in 1911, during the term of Governor Emmett O’Neal. Before that time, governors resided in private homes or even local hotels during their tenure in office.
The first Governor’s Mansion was a Beaux Arts brownstone built in 1906 that served as the home of nine Alabama governors from 1911 to 1950. The last governor to live in this mansion was Gov. James E. “Big Jim” Folsom. The residence was eventually demolished in 1963 to make way for the interstate highway.
In 1907, Robert Ligon, Jr. purchased a lot on Perry Street in a fashionable area of Montgomery and commissioned architect Weatherly Carter to build his family a home suitable to their position in society.
The result was a graceful, neoclassical structure that upon its completion came to be known as one of Montgomery’s most elegant homes. For 43 years the Ligons occupied the mansion, building a life that included many family events and social occasions in the stately home. Robert Ligon, Jr. died in 1939, and his wife Aileen in 1950.
Gov. Folsom played an instrumental role in acquiring the current Alabama Governor’s Mansion. During his first term, Gov. Folsom became fascinated with an impressive and uniquely Southern home located a few blocks from the original Governor’s Mansion. The Governor would often take walks through the neighborhood, befriended the owner of the home, Mrs. Robert Fulwood Ligon, Jr. He often told Mrs. Ligon that her home would make a more suitable mansion for the state’s governors, with its grand staircase and majestic columns.
For more than sixty years, thirteen First Families have enjoyed the Mansion while raising their children, showing guests Alabama hospitality and hosting official functions.
It is the state's goal to ensure the Governor’s Mansion is preserved and remains historically accurate. In 2011, the Mansion Preservation Act created an authority responsible for maintaining and restoring the 117-year-old house to reflect its original heritage. It also required the Governor’s Mansion to be accessible to the public with tours.
Governor Ivey invites Alabamians to see their home and encourage visitors to experience Sweet Home Alabama by booking a tour of the Governor’s Mansion.
For more information - https://governor.alabama.gov/governor/mansion/history/
