Originally built to be the seat of power of the American Governors–General during the summer months in the country, the Baguio Mansion House eventually became the official summer residence of the President of the Philippines since the Commonwealth period.
Situated at the Eastern part of Baguio City, the mansion was completed in 1908 at the insistence of William Cameron Forbes and named after his ancestral home in Massachusetts, United States. It was designed by American architect William Parsons in accordance with the “City Beautiful Movement," an architectural reform philosophy prevalent in North America at that time.
The Mansion House stood witness to several significant events
in the country’s history. In 1910, it was used for the special sessions
of the Second Philippine Legislature. With the inauguration
of the Commonwealth, it served as the temporary residence of the first American High Commissioner, Frank Murphy. President Jose P. Laurel evacuated here during the liberation of the Philippines.
During World War II, parts of the structure sustained significant damage from persistent bombing and strafing, rendering it nearly uninhabitable. It was restored in 1947 and expanded with more guest rooms
and conference areas.
