Mold scrubs singing at mansion

November 28, 2005

Posted on Mon, Nov. 28, 2005

SHARIF DURHAMS

sdurhams@...

Charlotte,NC

RALEIGH - Choirs won't perform holiday music in the N.C. governor's

residence this year.

Instead, hammers and screwdrivers will provide the seasonal sounds.

The state's Executive Mansion has been closed since September

because of a major mold infestation and won't reopen until the new

year.

That means Gov. Mike Easley and his wife, , won't guide the

traditional decoration of the house -- a seasonal treat that has

drawn up to 27,000 people.

Visitors aren't welcome in the 34,000-square-foot gated mansion, and

even the Easleys had to move out, to a state-owned house across the

street.

" We just had no choice, " said former N.C. Agriculture Commissioner

Britt Cobb, a deputy secretary in the state department that's

overseeing the mold removal.

An architect who inspected the mansion said he'd never seen a

building with a worse mold problem, Cobb said.

" There was moisture coming in through the roof. It was seeping in

through the foundation, " he said.

The state is trying to keep the renovation within its $3.5 million

budget.

Gov. Terry Sanford opened the Executive Mansion for public tours as

his first executive act when he took office in 1961.

Now, the state is scrambling to provide other venues for choirs who

normally perform at the mansion during the holidays. Orchestras and

vocal groups from schools are expected to perform beginning Dec. 6

at the nearby state Capitol, the Museum of History and perhaps other

venues. State officials were still locking in the schedule last week.

" If they want to make the trip here, we'll have plenty to offer "

despite the mansion's closure, said Faye of the

N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

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