David Parr House

The David Parr House is a preserved terraced house in Cambridge, with interior decoration in the Arts and Crafts style, executed by its owner, David Parr, between 1886 and 1926. The house is open to the public for guided tours in small groups.[2]

David Parr House
David Parr House
David Parr House is located in Cambridge
David Parr House
Location within Cambridge
General information
TypeTerraced house
Architectural styleArts and Crafts,
Gothic Revival
Location186 Gwydir Street, off Mill Road
Cambridge, CB1 2LW
United Kingdom
Coordinates52.20019°N 0.13864°E / 52.20019; 0.13864
OwnerThe David Parr House CIO (Registered Charity)[1]
Website
davidparrhouse.org

David Parr was a working-class Victorian decorative artist who worked for the Cambridge firm of F. R. Leach & Sons. The firm was a contractor to leading Arts and Crafts and Gothic Revival architects and designers, and Parr worked on projects for clients such as George Frederick Bodley, William Morris and Charles Eamer Kempe. In 1886 Parr purchased 186 Gwydir Street, a terraced house off Mill Road in Cambridge. Over 40 years he decorated his own home in the style of the notable interiors he worked on for his employers.

After Parr's death in 1927 his widow, and later his granddaughter, preserved the house interiors over the next 87 years. In 2014 the house was purchased by a charity established to ensure its continued preservation, and a major conservation programme was undertaken.[3] The house opened to the public in May 2019 and became a Grade II* listed building in 2020.[4][5][6][7][8] At the same time, Leach's showroom at 3 St Mary's Passage was listed Grade II.[9]

References
  1. "The David Parr House, registered charity no. 5043566". Charity Commission for England and Wales.
  2. "David Parr House". David Parr House. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  3. "Archaeological Excavations at David Parr House". Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  4. "Cambridge Home and Workplace of Unsung Artisan Decorator David Parr Listed". Historic England. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  5. "David Parr: Artist's 'awe' at 1880s artisan decorated house". BBC. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  6. "Discover Cambridge's best kept secret: Mr Parr's House". The Arts Society. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  7. Ferguson, Donna (10 March 2019). "Labourer who turned his cottage into a William Morris showcase". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  8. Historic England. "The David Parr House (Grade II*) (1470294)". National Heritage List for England.
  9. Historic England. "3 St Mary's Passage (Grade II) (1469340)". National Heritage List for England.


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