Leland Stanford Mansion in Sacramento began in 1856 as a Renaissance Revival house built for merchant Shelton C. Fogus. After Leland Stanford bought it in 1861, it served as his home and executive office during his governorship, and later governors also used it. In 1871–1872, repeated flooding led the Stanford family to raise the house 12 feet and enlarge it dramatically into a French Second Empire mansion, enclosing the original structure within a four-story building. Donated in 1900 for charitable use, it later housed children and dependent girls. California acquired it in 1978, restored it, and it now functions as a historic park and official reception center.