Gov. Joe Manchin said Wednesday the vinyl-frame windows installed recently on the second and third floors of the Governor's Mansion - against the orders of the Capitol Building Commission - are staying put.

"The windows are there. They're installed, and we're very proud of them," Manchin said of the windows, provided free to the state by Simonton Windows of Parkersburg.

"I'm very sorry if anyone's upset about that," he said.

The installation of the windows happened less than a month after the Capitol Building Commission approved an order directing that the old windows in the mansion be restored and re-paned for historical preservation purposes.

Originally created in 1976, the commission has legal authority on matters of maintaining and preserving buildings in the Capitol Complex.

Installation of the vinyl windows prompted an emergency meeting of the commission last week, as well as a resolution by the Kanawha Valley Historical and Preservation Society opposing the change.

"My intent was to keep the historical value of the mansion ... but also to make sure it will endure and last for many, many years," Manchin said.

The 81-year-old mansion is undergoing a $1 million renovation.

Manchin noted that the mansion had been allowed to deteriorate over time, and had substandard heating, cooling and electrical systems, as well as roof leaks and significant water damage on the third floor.

"I'm not blaming anybody for why we let it go for so long," he said.

Besides not being energy efficient, the old single-pane windows also had circa-1960s storm windows bolted onto them, which were impossible to open in the event of an emergency, he said.

"It was just not safe the way it was," he said.

Manchin said the windows on the first floor will be restored and re-paned, but said contractors estimated the cost for the first floor alone will exceed $100,000.

The Capitol Building Commission's next scheduled meeting is July 18.

Ginny Painter, deputy commissioner of the Division of Culture and History, said she did not believe commissioners have had any discussions on what actions to take on the windows since the May 18 meeting.