Laurier House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Laurier House |
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| Location | 335 Laurier Avenue East Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6R4 |
| Built | 1878 |
| Original use | Residence |
| Current use | Museum |
| Architect | James Mather |
| Governing body | Parks Canada |
| Website | Laurier House NHS |
| Designated | 1956 |
Laurier House (also known as Maison Laurier in French) is a special historic place in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It's located in the Sandy Hill area. This house was once the home of two important Canadian leaders: Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King. Both of them were Prime Ministers of Canada.
Today, Laurier House is a historic house museum. You can visit it for guided tours from May (around Victoria Day) until October (around Thanksgiving). Its address is 335 Laurier Avenue East.
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History of Laurier House
This famous house was built in 1878. Over the years, it was changed quite a bit. It now shows styles like Italianate architecture and some parts of the Second Empire style.
Homes of Prime Ministers
Sir Wilfrid Laurier lived in this house from 1897 until he passed away in 1919. The house is named after him. After his death, his wife, Zoé Laurier, decided to leave the house to William Lyon Mackenzie King. She passed away in 1921.
Mackenzie King then lived in Laurier House from 1923 until his own death in 1950. He then left the house to the Canadian Crown, which means it became property of the Canadian government.
Official Residence Plans
For a short time, the government thought about making Laurier House the official home for future prime ministers. However, the Prime Minister at that time, Louis St. Laurent, didn't agree with this idea. Instead, another property nearby, 24 Sussex Drive, was chosen. This house became the official residence for the Prime Minister in 1951.
Famous Visitors to Laurier House
Many important people from around the world visited Laurier House. These guests included King George VI of the United Kingdom and Sir Winston Churchill, who was the Prime Minister of the UK. Other famous visitors were Charles de Gaulle, a French leader, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, a President of the United States.
Managing the Historic Site
In 1951, the Laurier House Act was passed. This law put the house and its land under the care of several groups. These included the National Capital Commission (NCC), the Department of Public Works, and Library and Archives Canada.
Since 1988, Parks Canada has managed Laurier House. Parks Canada is the group that looks after Canada's national parks and historic sites. They run Laurier House as a public museum. However, the NCC still takes care of the grounds around the house. Also, the national archives keep ownership of all the old documents and items inside the house.
In 2022, a special plaque was put up at Laurier House. It honors Canada's first unit that worked on breaking secret codes during wartime.
See also
- In Spanish: Casa Laurier para niños
