Here's an inside look at Laurier House in Ottawa
Laurier House National Historic Site was home to two of Canada's longest-serving prime ministers, Sir Henri Charles Wilfrid Laurier (1841-1919) and William Lyon MacKenzie King (1874-1950).
The national historic site is open for tourists all summer long in Ottawa. CTV Morning Live took a walk inside the house to learn more about the history inside.
Juan Sanchez, visitor experience manager of Laurier House says the house is one of the most authentic sites in Park's Canada's system.
"So, we have over 10,000 original artifacts and right now we’re in the library and not only it's authentic, but the placing of all of furniture and the books and where they are, are authentic to King's time as well," he said.
The library is located on the top floor. It was initially used as a pool room when Wilfrid Laurier lived in the house, he says, noting that it was later converted into the library by Lyon Mackenzie King.
Meanwhile, the top floor, was the "hustle and bustle" for Lyon Mackenzie King, especially during the war, Sanchez says, adding that he even had the breakfast room on it.
"In 1896 Liberal supporters purchased this house for Sir Wilfrid Laurier as a gift, when Laurier died in 1919, he willed it to the next Liberal Lyon Mackenzie King," he said.
Big decisions related to Canada's politics on the national and international stage were made inside the library for over 22 years, as Lyon Mackenzie King used it as an office. Sanchez notes that he preferred working inside of it than working in the Parliament.
Lyon Mackenzie King was known for his belief in spiritualism, Sanchez notes as he points at a crystal ball placed on the piano inside the library. He found comfort in spiritualism after his family died.
A crystal ball on the piano inside the library at Laurier House National Historic Site is shown in this photo. (CTV Morning Live)
Though the former prime minister didn't use the crystal ball, he used to have "mediums come to the house."
"What he used was table rapping. So, it was another system of communicating with the afterlife, which you would ask the spirit world a question, and the table would rap once for yes, and twice for no," he added.
Sanchez notes that Lyon Mackenzie King was deeply devoted to his mother, as he was showing a painting of hers. There's also a box with her wedding ring placed on a table inside the room.
"Still to this day, everything is authentic," he said.
A wide variety of books can be found inside the library, Sanchez notes.
"You can imagine from 1922 right up until he retired in 1950, the amount of people who came here … generals during the Second World War … and they all signed the guest book," he added.
On the second floor, there are rooms dedicated to Sir Wilfrid Laurier, giving a glimpse of his lifetime. There's also his bedroom, which is the room he died in.
The bedroom inside Laurier House National Historic Site in Ottawa is shown in this photo. (CTV Morning Live)
The first floor shows all the formal rooms, including the dining, reception and living rooms.
Laurier House is located downtown Ottawa at 335 Laurier Ave. East. More information is available online.
- IN PICTURES: Photos from inside the house are available in this gallery.
The 22nd annual Doors Open Ottawa event starts Saturday to offer residents a glimpse into the iconic history that lies behind the closed doors of the capital’s buildings.
Residents will be able to take in-person or virtual tours inside more than 80 buildings during the two-day event, said the City of Ottawa in a news release on May 22.
The event will take place on Saturday and Sunday. A full list of participating buildings is available on the City of Ottawa website.
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