Laurier House in Ottawa, ON

The Laurier House in Ottawa, Ontario is one of Canada's National Historic Sites. It commemorates two Canadian prime ministers, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and the Rt. Hon. William Lyon Mackenzie King.

From 1897 to 1948 the house was the home to these prime ministers. First Laurier lived there. When he died, Laurier House became the home of Mackenzie King.

The house became government property when King bequeathed it to the "government and the people of Canada." He wanted to show future generations where he and Laurier entertained dignitaries, politicians and where the men conducted political business.

Laurier House is located in Sandy Hill, an area that has been described as a fashionable residential area within easy commuting distance of the commercial and political center of Ottawa.

The house was originally owned by a wealthy Ottawa jeweler name John Leslie. Leslie had purchased the land in 1850, but didn't build a home on it until the late 1870s. The Leslie family moved into their new Second Empire Style home in 1879. Leslie died in 1895 and his wife died in 1896.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier and his family moved into the Laurier house in the fall of 1897. At that time prime ministers were required to buy their own homes. Unfortunately Laurier didn't have much money, but was able to afford the house thanks to a group of friends. These friends raised the money to buy the Sandy Hill house and also set up a fund to help with the expenses of running it.

William Lyon Mackenzie King, the Liberal party leader who succeeded Laurier, moved into the house in 1921, the same year that Lady Laurier died.