Winfield House

Name	Winfield House
Caption	Winfield House (unknown date)
Architectural style	Neo-Georgian
Owner	United States government
Current tenants	United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom (since 1955)
Location	Regent's ParkLondon, England, United Kingdom
Coordinates	°′″N°′″N
Coordinates
Start date	20th century
Completion date	20th century
Architect	Leonard Rome Guthrie
Architecture firm	Wimperis, Simpson and Guthrie

Winfield House is a mansion set in 12 acres (49,000 m²) of grounds in Regent's Park, London, England - the largest private garden in or close to central London after that of Buckingham Palace. Since 1955, it has been the official ambassadorial residence of the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

History

Property before Winfield House

The first house on the site was Hertford Villa, later known as St Dunstan's. This was the largest of the eight villas originally built in the park as part of John Nash's development scheme. Occupants of the villa included the Marquesses of Hertford, newspaper proprietor Lord Rothermere, and the American financier Otto H. Kahn. The villa was damaged by fire in the 1930s and was subsequently purchased by the American heiress Barbara Hutton who demolished it.

Winfield House

Hutton built the existing Neo-Georgian mansion designed by Leonard Rome Guthrie of the English architectural practice Wimperis, Simpson and Guthrie. The name of the house derives from her grandfather Frank Winfield Woolworth and likely Winfield Hall, his estate in Glen Cove, New York. Hutton's only child, Lance Reventlow, was born in Winfield House.

World War II usage

During World War II, the house was used by a U.K. Royal Air Force 906 barrage balloon unit. It was visited during the war by film actor Cary Grant, who was married to Hutton at the time. Between February 1951 and June 1952, it was the home of comedian and actor Arthur Askey.

Sale to the U.S. government

After the war, Hutton sold the house to the American government for one dollar. In the early 1950s, the building was used as the London officers' club for the U.S. Third Air Force.

Ambassador's official residence

It became the ambassador's official residence in 1955. Among the ambassadors in residence has been Walter Annenberg, Anne Armstrong, and John Hay Whitney, and the house has been visited by Queen Elizabeth II, several U.S. presidents and many distinguished guests.

The house is listed on the U.S. Secretary of State's Register of Culturally Significant Property, which denotes properties owned by the U.S. State Department with particular cultural or historical significance.

U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama stayed at the house during their visit to London from March 31, to April 2, 2009, and again from 23-25 May 2011.

Obama hosted a banquet for the Queen on the 25th of May 2011 after Obama attended the Queen's banquet at Buckingham Palace the night before.

See also

List of structures in London

Shadow Lawn, mansion of Hubert T. Parsons, president of the F.W. Woolworth Company

United Kingdom – United States relations

U.S. Embassy, London

External links

Staff writer (undated). "Winfield House". U.S. Embassy, London. Retrieved April 25, 2011.

Winfield House (Hertford Villa, St Dunstan's)

Category:1930s architecture Category:Ambassadorial residences Category:Buildings of the United States government Category:Houses in Westminster Category:Official residences in the United Kingdom Category:Register of Culturally Significant Property Category:United Kingdom – United States relations Category:Woolworth family