Parks House, an historic, freestanding Embassy Row mansion with 10 rooms on the first floor available for event rental, opens as a new venue on February 7. Located across the street from the official home of the vice president, the antique-furnished 6,000-square-foot space—rich with architectural detail—includes a formal living room with a fireplace, a 12-seat dining room, an Asian-themed music room, and a remodeled kitchen with a double oven and a large island counter. The capacity is 180 for receptions.
The highlight of the west wing is an Art Deco-style home theater with a flat-screen TV, fold-back sofas for eight, and an antique-style popcorn machine. Nearby, there is a black-and-white tiled reception room with bar that can accommodate four eight-person round dining tables. A separate, carpeted reception room with a bar can hold an additional three eight-person tables. The 1.4-acre property has room for a tent.
Built in 1927 by noted Washingtonian and Olde Heurich Brewery founder Christian Heurich, the Spanish-influenced mansion was rented to the nearby Embassy of Belgium in the 1940s and purchased by the Parks family in 1959.
