Before becoming Governor
Prior to his election as Governor, Andrew Cuomo served four years as New York’s Attorney General. As the state’s top legal officer, he made restoring public trust in government and protecting New York taxpayers the top priorities of his administration.
As Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo brought national reform to the student loan industry, uncovered fraud within the largest health insurers in the country, protected investors from abuses on Wall Street, and made the Internet safer for children nationwide. His groundbreaking investigations into the state pension system ended decades of government corruption in New York and set a model for public pension funds across the country. In addition, Cuomo established Housing Enterprise for Less Privileged (HELP) in 1986, which became the nation’s largest private provider of transitional housing for the homeless. Based on his pioneering work through HELP, Cuomo was appointed by New York City Mayor David Dinkins in 1991 to lead the New York City Commission on the Homeless.
Serving as Secretary of the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development
In 1997, Cuomo was appointed by President Clinton to serve as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Under his leadership, HUD was transformed from a bureaucratic backwater rife with waste, fraud, and abuse to a revitalized engine for economic development and unprecedented housing opportunities. Cuomo brought dramatic reforms to make government efficient and competent while saving taxpayers millions of dollars.
As secretary, Cuomo made fighting racial discrimination a key focus and brought 2,000 anti-discrimination cases all across the country.
Andrew Cuomo’s work earned HUD the prestigious “Innovations in American Government Award” from the Ford Foundation and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University on three different occasions.
Early Career and Education
Cuomo first practiced law as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan. He has also worked as a partner in a New York City law firm and was of counsel at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson.
Cuomo graduated from Fordham University in 1979 and Albany Law School in 1982.
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul
Kathleen C. Hochul was inaugurated as the 77th Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York on January 1, 2015. Hochul was elected with Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on November 4, 2014.
Before Becoming Lieutenant Governor
From 2011 to 2013, then Congresswoman Kathy Hochul served in the House of Representatives from New York’s 26th Congressional District.
Prior to her time in Congress, Hochul was the highest-ranking female elected official in Erie County while serving as County Clerk from 2007 to 2011.
The Lieutenant Governor also served 14 years as a Hamburg Town Councilmember.
Highlights of her Tenure
Early Education and Career
The Lieutenant Governor holds a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and a JD from Catholic University in Washington, DC. At the start of her legal career, she worked at a large firm in Washington and later as in-house counsel to a major corporation engaged in homeland security. Hochul then gave up private practice for public service. She was asked to serve as a legal counsel and legislative assistant to Congressman John LaFalce (D-NY) and later to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
In 2006, the Lieutenant Governor joined her mother and aunt in establishing the Kathleen Mary House, a transitional home for victims of domestic violence, and served on its Board of Directors. She co-founded the Village Action Coalition to help local businesses survive competition from big box stores.
Hochul has been married to her husband, Bill, since 1984, and is the mother of Will and Katie.
The Governor’s Mansion
Style and Legacy:
Perhaps no other residence in America but the White House has been the setting for as many historic aspirations and accomplishments. While living in the Executive Mansion, each governor has had his own style and created his own traditions, leaving a legacy that becomes part of the unique story of this historic house.
Originally built in 1856, the Executive Mansion reflects the many different styles of the last half of the 19th century. The first house on this site was a simple Italianate structure that was renovated in the in 1860’s into a home with elaborate Second Empire details.As years passed, tastes changed and families grew, the Executive Mansion evolved from a simple two-story house into the picturesque Queen Anne style building it is today. In 1971 the Executive Mansion and its grounds earned a place on the National Historic Register.
Beginning in 1983, First Lady Mrs. Matilda Cuomo undertook to preserve the historic nature of the house. Mrs. Cuomo oversaw the restoration of the nearly the entire first and second floors with the help of private funding. Much of this significant contribution to the Executive Mansion’s history is visible today.
Historic Items Collected Through the Years:
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Many books, kitchen utensils, decorative objects and some furniture were included in the original sale of the home in 1877. Some of these pieces are still there, including a beautiful suite of Renaissance Revival furniture in the Reception Hall, a Renaissance Revival Dining Room table and chairs, and several small classical sculptures.
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A set of Tiffany sterling silver inscribed with the New York State seal was purchased in 1912. The trumpet vases, epergne and footed platters are still in use today.
- Although the Executive Mansion does not have an extensive art collection, it is filled with beautiful paintings and sculpture on loan through the generosity of New York’s finest museums.
Greening the Mansion:
The “Greening the Mansion” program was initiated in 2007.
It is an ongoing project at the Executive Mansion to:
- Reduce energy usage
- Transition the building to clean, renewable energy resources
- To develop sustainable practices in maintaining the grounds and operations.
“Greening the Mansion” honors historic preservation guidelines consistent with the Executive Mansion’s status as an historic landmark. It also serves as a model for all New York homeowners as it promotes healthy buildings and environmental sustainability, while cutting electrical energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
History of the Mansion Neighborhood:
Situated between Eagle Street and Trinity Place, was well outside Albany’s original 1624 Dutch enclave. For the first two hundred years of European settlement, the area was surrounded by creeks that ran to the Hudson River from the west and was home only to a few large estates and scattered farms. However, the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825 caused Albany to grow by leaps and bounds and the Mansion area developed into a residential neighborhood. As the city turned into a railroad and industrial center, the neighborhood became a mixed residential area of merchants and industrialists as well as workers and the new middle class.
As massive numbers of European immigrants poured into Albany, many found homes in the Mansion Neighborhood. First settled in the early-nineteenth century by the English and Dutch, the neighborhood was later home to many of German and Irish descent, followed by Jewish and Italian immigrants, and later, African-Americans. The diversity of residents is also reflected in its architecture, from the fashionable homes of Madison Place, Eagle and Elm streets, to the more modest houses on Bleecker Place, Philip Street, and Park Avenue.
Originally part of the vast area known as the “South End,” the Mansion Neighborhood as it exists currently is defined by the South Mall, now the Empire State Plaza, dating from the 1962 demolition and construction north of Madison Avenue and west of Eagle Street. Today, the most obvious reason for the neighborhood’s name is its proximity to the Executive Mansion. In 1982, the neighborhood was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district because of its architectural and historical significance.
Special thanks to Anthony Opalka of the Historic Albany Foundation.
Visit
Choose Your Tour:
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General
The general tour takes the visitor on a journey through the Executive Mansion, examining its roles as both an official residence and a private home to New York’s governors and their families. Tour discussion focuses on past and present New York State governors, architectural history, furnishings and artwork, and the Mansion’s present existence as a LEED-certified building.
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Student
Pre-Visit Resource Kit for Teachers: Teachers who plan to bring their classes to the Executive Mansion are encouraged to download and use the Mansion Tour Program Resource Kit. The kit provides information and activities designed to enhance the tour experience for the students. Download here.
The student tour focuses on four key periods in the Executive Mansion’s history: the Victorian era, 1920s to the mid-1930s, 1960s to the present, and the 21st Century. Through the use of artifacts, furnishings and art, students will explore the Executive Mansion’s significance to the culture and history of New York State. The tour culminates with a discussion about the Executive Mansion in the 21st century, including the importance of sustainable living and the Executive Mansion’s LEED-Gold certification.
Tour Details:
Tours of the Executive Mansion are offered on Thursday during the September – June at:
- 10:00AM
- 11:00AM
- 12:00PM
- 1:00PM
- 2:00PM
All tours last approximately 1-hour. Tours begin at the front center gate of the Executive Mansion, 138 Eagle Street, Albany.
Eligibility:
Groups must have at least 10 visitors with a maximum of 30 visitors (including chaperones).
Fees:
The tour is free of charge
Schedule:
To schedule a tour, please contact Office of General Services Curatorial and Tour Services:
2978 Corning Tower
Empire State Plaza
Albany, New York 12242-0001
(518) 473-7521
Fax: (518) 474-0984
Reservations are required and must be made at least two weeks in advance.
Office of General Services 41st Floor, Corning Tower Empire State Plaza Albany, NY 12242