Colorado’s first lady said Thursday that she is spearheading an effort to preserve the 100-year-old Governor’s Mansion.
The Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund will help pay for repairs and renovations, said Jeannie Ritter, the group’s honorary chairwoman. The money also would allow the mansion to expand its hours for tours and would provide more room for educational programs, she said.
The money would come from private donors. So far, about $500,000 has been raised, and there are plans to have $1 million by year’s end, Ritter said. But the ultimate goal is to raise $10 million in the next 10 years, she said.
Although it might seem lofty, it’s possible, she said. “I’ll admit, it’s not an easy thing to raise money for a mansion.”
As far as renovations, there isn’t a need for an immediate overhaul, Ritter said. However, the building is old, and it will only get older.
The Governor’s Mansion was built in 1908 but wasn’t used by Colorado’s first families until 1959. Ritter said the home is one of the last governor’s mansions in the U.S. that doesn’t have a preservation endowment.
