The small Federal-style house that was intended as the chief executive's official residence stands at the foot of “Capitol Hill,” a site designated for the statehouse. It was built by James Wright Gordon (1809–1853), an attorney and a state senator who promoted the designation of Marshall as the state capital in the first decade of statehood. Despite the lost hopes and optimism, the “Governor's Mansion” retains the simple dignity of a house in a frontier city that once aspired to greatness. The two-story white wood-frame house has a side-hall plan. An overscaled one-story Doric porch and a one-story rear wing were added. The house is Federal in proportion and scale, including the cornice. The latter was made Greek by the addition of the deep entablature, which is not supported by corner pilasters. The house was given to the Daughters of the American Revolution, who restored it in 1966.