Parkwood Estate
| Parkwood | |
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Parkwood Estate in 2007
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| Location | 270 Simcoe Street North Oshawa, Ontario, Canada L1G 4T5 |
| Original use | House and residential estate |
| Current use | Museum |
| Website | parkwoodestate.com |
| Designated | 1989 |
Coordinates: 43°54′16″N 78°52′5″W / 43.90444°N 78.86806°W
The Parkwood Estate, located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, was the residence of Samuel McLaughlin (founder of General Motors of Canada) and was home to the McLaughlin family from 1917 until 1972. The residence was designed by noted Toronto architectural firm Darling and Pearson, construction starting in 1916. In 1989, the Parkwood Estate was officially designated a National Historic Site of Canada, and tours are now given year-round.
Parkwood's architectural, landscape and interior designs are based on those of the 1920s and 1930s. Canada’s Historic Site and Monuments Board describes it as “a rare surviving example of the type of estate developed in Canada during the inter-war years, and is rarer still by its essentially intact condition, furnished and run to illustrate as it was lived within.”
Parkwood was the family home of the McLaughlins from 1917 until 1972. In 1989, Parks Canada designated it a National Historic Site and opened it to the public, as well as naming R.S. McLaughlin a person of significance to Canadian heritage.
The interiors at Parkwood represent early 20th century design and contain housewares, books, photographs and memorabilia, artwork, and trophies, all displayed in their original settings. Murals include works by Canadian artists Frederick Challener and Frederick Haines. Decorations include carved wood and plaster architectural finishes, as well as novelties such as hidden panels and stairways.
The 55 room mansion has 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2) of space, including the basement and third-floor servants' rooms.
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