Governor’s Mansion
China Collection

Upon entering the Governor’s Mansion, you’re immediately taken aback by the stunning historical architecture and walls covered in fine art. As you progress through the foyer, you’ll notice two rooms, one on the left, one on the right. The room to the right is the State Dining Room which contains many historical pieces of art, but the one we’ll focus on in this month’s blog is the beautiful wooden china cabinet and what resides inside.

When you see this immaculate and illuminated cabinet, you start to see a story of some of the Governors who have lived in the Mansion since its construction in 1963. Each shelf is home to a different set of china, designed by Governors and First Ladies throughout the years. Governor Jimmie Davis and First Lady Alvern Adams Davis, Governor John McKeithen and First Lady Marjorie McKeithen, Governor Edwin Edwards and First Lady Elaine Edwards, Governor David Treen and First Lady Dolores Treen, Governor Buddy Roemer, Governor Mike Foster, and First Lady Alice Foster, and Governor John Bel Edwards and First Lady Donna H. Edwards, all have china in this lovely, historical cabinet.

In 1998, the Louisiana Governor’s Mansion Preservation Foundation purchased the First Lady’s china to serve as the china used during luncheons the First Lady was hosting. Its beautiful butterfly and floral design brighten every room it enters and every table it touches.

In 2018, Governor and First Lady Edwards designed the new Louisiana state china and Johnny Tate and Lindsay Guerin from Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry designed the new Louisiana State china. The china is American made by Lenox and is beautifully set in lapis blue and gold, Louisiana’s state colors. In addition to the blue and gold, they added sixty-four fleur-de-lis around the outside of the dinner plate for our sixty-four parishes and eighteen stars around the cup to remind us that Louisiana was the 18th state to join the United States. Many people and groups helped purchase this Louisiana-styled china, and each of their names appears on the back of a dinner plate.