Laurier House
Encyclopedia
Laurier House is a National Historic Site of Canada in Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
, located at 335 Laurier Avenue East (in the Sandy Hill
district). It was formerly the residence of two Canadian Prime Ministers
, Sir Wilfrid Laurier
(for whom the house is named) and William Lyon Mackenzie King
. The house was built in 1878, but had significant later alterations. Laurier House exhibits elements of the Italianate manner as well as traces of Second Empire style.
Laurier lived there from 1897 until his death in 1919. His wife willed the house to Mackenzie King upon her death. King lived there 1923 until his death in 1950. King willed the house to the people of Canada upon his death. The government then briefly considered designating Laurier House as the permanent official residence
of the Prime Minister. However, as the Prime Minister in office at the time, Louis St. Laurent
opposed designating Laurier House as an official, probably because he personally preferred a different residence (specifically, 24 Sussex Drive
- a property the government had acquired a few years earlier through an eviction) and/or because he and his fellow Liberals did not want future Conservative Prime Ministers residing at Laurier House. 24 Sussex Drive was designated the Prime Minister's official residence in 1951.
Many distinguished guests from abroad were received at this house, such as King George VI
, Sir Winston Churchill
, Charles de Gaulle
, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and others.
Laurier House is now owned by Parks Canada
, which operates it as a public museum. A popular summer attraction since 2003 is the Summer Heritage Theatre Series on the veranda and Evening Butler tours. Laurier House is open to the public for guided tours from Victoria Day until Labour Day.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located at 335 Laurier Avenue East (in the Sandy Hill
Sandy Hill
Sandy Hill is a bilingual neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario located just east of downtown. The neighbourhood is bordered on the west by the Rideau Canal and on the east by the Rideau River. To the north it stretches to Rideau Street and the Byward Market area while to the south it is bordered by...
district). It was formerly the residence of two Canadian Prime Ministers
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
, Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
(for whom the house is named) and William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
. The house was built in 1878, but had significant later alterations. Laurier House exhibits elements of the Italianate manner as well as traces of Second Empire style.
Laurier lived there from 1897 until his death in 1919. His wife willed the house to Mackenzie King upon her death. King lived there 1923 until his death in 1950. King willed the house to the people of Canada upon his death. The government then briefly considered designating Laurier House as the permanent official residence
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
of the Prime Minister. However, as the Prime Minister in office at the time, Louis St. Laurent
Louis St. Laurent
Louis Stephen St. Laurent, PC, CC, QC , was the 12th Prime Minister of Canada from 15 November 1948, to 21 June 1957....
opposed designating Laurier House as an official, probably because he personally preferred a different residence (specifically, 24 Sussex Drive
24 Sussex Drive
24 Sussex Drive is the official residence of the Prime Minister of Canada, located in the New Edinburgh neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario. Built between 1866 and 1868 by Joseph Merrill Currier, it has been the official home of the Canadian prime minister since 1951.-History:The house at 24 Sussex...
- a property the government had acquired a few years earlier through an eviction) and/or because he and his fellow Liberals did not want future Conservative Prime Ministers residing at Laurier House. 24 Sussex Drive was designated the Prime Minister's official residence in 1951.
Many distinguished guests from abroad were received at this house, such as King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, Sir Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and others.
Laurier House is now owned by Parks Canada
Parks Canada
Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
, which operates it as a public museum. A popular summer attraction since 2003 is the Summer Heritage Theatre Series on the veranda and Evening Butler tours. Laurier House is open to the public for guided tours from Victoria Day until Labour Day.