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The Italianate building was constructed in 1856 as a banker's private home. Samuel Tilden became the first governor to reside in the house in 1875, and the state purchased it two years later.

Over the years, various governors have altered the residence. Theodore Roosevelt, for example, had a gymnasium constructed during his stay. Franklin D. Roosevelt installed a swimming pool in 1932. It was subsequently filled in when its building was converted into a greenhouse, but Mario Cuomo had the pool restored during his tenure. Al Smith had a zoo built, and Nelson Rockefeller added the mansion's tennis courts. Twenty-nine consecutive governors had used the building on a mostly full-time basis until Governor George Pataki.^[2]

After a fire in 1961 the possibility of building or purchasing a newer modern mansion uptown was considered, but Governor Nelson Rockefeller fought for restoration and was instrumental in getting the mansion named to the National Register of Historic Places.^[2] In the early 1980s, the Executive Mansion Preservation Society was established to coordinate restoration of the home. Inmates from state prisons once staffed the mansion.^[3]

In April 2009 Michelle Paige Paterson, wife of Governor Paterson, announced that as a result of efforts to "green" the operations and maintenance of the building and grounds, the mansion had earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification from the US Green Building Council. The mansion is the first governor's residence in the country to earn Gold status using the LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) rating system. The project encompassed almost two years and was initiated by previous First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer.^[4]

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Free guided tours of the Executive Mansion are given on Thursdays from September to June at 12:00, 1:00, and 2:00 p.m. by reservation only. Tours for school groups are also offered.