Governor's Mansion Damaged In Fire

A major fire destroyed parts of the governor's mansion in downtown Austin earlier this morning.

Authorities are still trying to determine the cause of the fire reported at 1:45am by pedestrians in the area. The fire was not contained until around 6:30, by which time the second floor was effectively destroyed and the first floor had undertaken extensive damage.

The mansion was being renovated at the time, so most of the historic items in the mansion had already been removed. But the mansion itself is a piece of Texas history. For more on the history of the mansion, visit the website of the Friends of the Governor's Mansion, who provide some background information on it as well as a virtual tour.