When flames tore through the Pennsylvania governor’s residence in mid-April, they scorched more than walls and ceilings—they singed memories. For Lesley Ridge, a charred piano in the reception room evoked a vivid memory from 1999, when Fred Rogers himself invited her and her brother to play his iconic theme song on those very keys. The Ridge family, like seven others before and after, called the residence home.
Now, five former governors and six first ladies are stepping out of retirement to restore that home. From Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, the bipartisan group—Ed Rendell, Tom Corbett, Tom Ridge, Tom Wolf, and Mark Schweiker—has united behind a single cause: preserving the history they once lived. Their upcoming private fundraiser aims to replenish the Governor’s Residence Preservation Fund and cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in uninsured damages from the arson attack.
The fire, set while Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside, leaving the reception room in ruins and the public shaken. It also stirred something deeper in those who once walked its halls, hosted its guests, and found solace in its quiet spaces. Each former governor is contributing personally and helping to coordinate donations across the state, carefully avoiding overlap in their shared outreach efforts.
Though they rarely appear together in public life, their shared commitment to the residence—a symbol of leadership, family, and Pennsylvania itself—has brought them shoulder to shoulder. As workers clear debris and prepare the mansion for its next chapter, the former governors’ efforts serve not just to restore a house, but to reclaim a piece of Pennsylvania’s collective memory.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer