Mahonia Hall

Mahonia Hall is a Tudor Revival mansion covering over 10,000 square feet that serves as the official residence for the Governor of Oregon in Salem. The estate includes multiple floors with formal reception rooms, a pipe organ and wine cellar, plus landscaped gardens that surround the main building.

Ellis Lawrence, founder of the University of Oregon School of Architecture, designed the residence in 1924 for hop farmer Thomas Livesley. The state acquired the property in 1988 through private donations to create an official residence for governors in the capital.

The building takes its name from the Oregon grape, a flowering shrub native to the Pacific Northwest that grows throughout the grounds. Visitors today see a working residence that hosts receptions and state events in rooms designed for both public ceremony and private life.

The residence sits in a residential neighborhood of Salem and is not open to the public as it functions as a working home. Visitors can view the exterior and surrounding streets from the sidewalk.

A full ballroom occupies the entire third floor and remains part of the original design from the 1920s. The room keeps its historical proportions and continues to be used for official functions today.

Location: Oregon

Architects: Ellis F. Lawrence

Architectural style: Tudor Revival architecture

GPS coordinates: 44.92570,-123.05100

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:29