Governor's mansion in disrepair; group plans to raise money for repairs

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WLS) -- The official residence of Illinois governors and one of the state's most historic homes, the Illinois Executive Mansion in Springfield, has fallen into disrepair.

Paint is peeling, tiles are loose and wood is rotting.

Gov. Bruce Rauner and the non-profit board that cares for the mansion, will launch a fundraising effort next week to fix the 160-year-old house. Rauner has said no state money will be used for repair expenses, which initial estimates put at $9 million.

"We feel the history here is absolutely vital and we need to restore this and renovate it and get it back to its glory time," said Lori Montana, a member of the Executive Mansion Board.

The mansion's roof is 45-years-old. The building leaks so much that treasured furniture had to be shrink-wrapped and moved to safer quarters. A storm-water and sewage back-up flooded the basement and destroyed the mansion's elevator.

Built six years before the start of the Civil War, the house was constructed while Abraham Lincoln was practicing law down the street.

A more exact figure for costs will be determined in the next couple weeks. Construction could start as early as this summer.

"We're already getting pledges that are significant to start to renovate this home," Montana said. "And I think if things go well, we'd like to be starting when they're finished with the scope, we'd like to start this summer."

The executive mansion, which has a "Gone with the Wind" staircase, is still a functioning home, although state dinners at the big table, which can seat more than 20 people, may not occur very often. Mansion tours are still open to the public.