This is the second Governor's Mansion to occupy the site. The first Governor's Mansion, a large frame house built for Baton Rouge businessman Nathan King Knox, served as the official residence of Louisiana Governors from 1887 until 1929, when it was razed and the present Old Governor's Mansion was built. The building cost almost $150,000 to complete, and, at a cost of $22,000 (a princely sum for the time), the Mansion was furnished with the finest damask and velvet drapes, crystal chandeliers, hand-printed French wallpaper, and other fine appointments.