Parkwood Estate National Historic Site
270 Simcoe Street N L1G 4T5 Oshawa, ON, Canada

Need to finish your holiday shopping? Shop local in the Parkwood Gift Shop to check off all the items on your list! Ample free parking Boutique shop with no crowds Covid protocols in place ... So many adorable products Check us out! Curbside pick up also available. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2433063320335751

I challenged the handiworks group with a period authentic shopping bag task, based on the patterns available on the Victoria and Albert Museum website Vida made and dropped off the first one last week, now exhibited in the kitchen. Special thanks to Service Canada for their support of Knit One, Purl Two

Parkwood Closure Notification: Parkwood National Historic Site is now closed to the public, including tours and gift shop, until December 10 due to film production activities This closure does not apply to those with tickets to our sold out events on November 29, December 5 & 6 ... The Parkwood Giftshop will be open for your browsing and shopping pleasure on November 29, December 5 & 6 from 11:30 to 4:30

Calling all bakers! Calling all heritage enthusiasts! War in the Kitchen, our historic foodways group is challenging you to make and share photos of your 1940s ration mock mince pie filling. Photograph it made in its pot/ jar, photograph it in pastry, don’t mind, just make and take a pic. We may be filming, but we can still have fun! ... This recipe is from the Marie Holmes’ Toronto Star column, Cooking Chat November 28, 1940 Be sure to hashtag your entry with #parkwoodwoodenspoon Photo entries to the Parkwood FB page, here, until 8pm November 30 Entries to win the coveted Parkwood Wooden Spoon of bragging rights

Some Parkwood beauty on this cold snowy day Stay safe everyone! We look forward to welcoming you all back for our highly anticipated Parkwood Christmas Tours, returning this December! Using historic and contemporary décor, the main floor of the mansion will be transformed into a Christmas wonderland! Be sure to book your tour times in advance ... Dec 5th - 31st #parkwoodestate #parkwood #nationalhistoricsite #thingstodoinoshawa #museum #tour #museumtours #McLaughlin #sightseeing #durhamregion #explore #hightea #weddingvenue #oshawamuseums #afternoontea #history #oshawaevents #christmastraditions #holidaydecorating #holidayseason #exploreontario #exploretoronto #holidaydecor #winterwonderland

Tour tickets available @parkwoodestate.com

War in the Kitchen Christmas Breakfast 1940 Challenge We challenge our friends and fans to recreate one of Marie’s December 1940 breakfast menus and then post pics showing us your culinary masterpieces using #Christmasbreakfast1940 Thanks to the Toronto Star archives for their ongoing support of War in the Kitchen

5 hours left to get your bids in to our online fundraising auction ! We close at 11:59pm TONIGHT!

In the Parkwood library collection is a book called The First Canadian Christmas Carol published in 1927. Many will recognise it as the English translation/lyrics of the Huron Carol, by Jesse Edgar Middleton, affectionately and professionaly known as JEM. Jesse Edgar Middleton, a Canadian poet and songwriter was known to the McLaughlins through his writings as a music critic with the Mail and Empire newspaper as well as his work with the Centennial Methodist Church and Toronto’s Mendelssohn Choir. Sam and Adelaide commissioned JEM to write the verse in several of their 1940s Christmas cards, since he was renown for capturing the moods and thoughts of all in his WWI war poetry.

It’s Stir Up Sunday. Who else is busy making their Christmas puddings and mincemeat? Here is our WWII historic foodways program, War in the Kitchen, making our Christmas 1940 pudding. If you are busy cooking in your kitchens, share with us your stir up Sunday family traditions

Good November 17 morning from us to you!

War in the Kitchen has been busy with preparations for our overseas boxes being sent out next week. Cookie One: On November 7, 1940, Marie Holmes published her recipe for shortbread that will travel well for her readers who were busy making up Christmas boxes for their loved ones serving overseas. Marie published two recipes, (Cookie Two, next week), with many women are sending boxes overseas these days and they like to include a little bit of home cooking... Special thanks to the Toronto Star Archives for their support of our project and to CBC Radio 1 who is doing a special segment on the Overseas Boxes broadcasting in December on the Sunday Magazine Parkwood friends are receiving a special visual preview of our WWII boxes as we create them based on the Marie Holmes 1940 column, Cooking Chat, in the coming week

From one of the household journals kept by the secretaries A curatorial favourite thing in our collection

Our 2020 tobacco harvest is in and is drying in the basement. As many who follow us know, WWII Victory Gardens grew tobacco and our oral histories of Parkwood domestic staff tells us about the tobacco cultivated by gardeners on the property. We saved the seeds from this years plants and are now embarking on the next stage of our project; Shirley, Aztec Rustica, Bursa, Zimmer and other varieties of our tobacco are drying under our watchful eyes. We will keep you updated ... One of the curatorial goals of this project is tobacco pot pourri for a variety of the Estate rooms to make your interpretive experience more authentic when you visit.

Our busy volunteers in action!

The McLaughlins, like many Toronto-based society folk, used the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, to see and be seen. Submitting florals from the greenhouses for judging, showcasing their hunters and jumpers in the equestrian events, Eileen and Billie (Eleanor) demonstrating their horsewomanship skills and talents, and attending the elite social events associated with the festivities. Not only did they participate, but they often won numerous ribbons and trophies each Novembe...r. Here you can see Eileen, Mrs. Eric Phillips, on Sharavogue. As well as an article from the Toronto Daily Star, November 22, 1930 talking about her first placed win! Be sure to follow along this week as we share more pictures and stories! #royalwinterfair #RWF #parkwoodestate #parkwood #nationalhistoricsite #thingstodoinoshawa #museum #tour #Exploredurham #museumtours #McLaughlin #sightseeing #durhamregion #explore #downtownoshawa #weddingvenue #oshawamuseums #afternoontea #history #oshawaevents #venue

Hello fans and friends! We are aware of the damages to the fences due to the high winds Thank you for keeping an eye on the Parkwood property for us. You are truly valued! Neighbours are wonderful