Hursley House is an 18th century Queen Anne style mansion in Hursley in the English county of Hampshire.
It was built by William Heathcote between 1721 and 1724, during the reign of George I. Since its construction, the house has undergone numerous changes, most notably in 1902, when extensive development and redecoration work created the House that can be seen today.
During the First World War the second floor of the House became a nursing hospital for officers. During the Second World War, the House was again intended to be used as a military hospital but instead its was requisitioned by the Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP) to rehouse the Design and Production departments of Vickers Supermarine, which had been bombed out of its original premises in Woolston, Hampshire. During its time in the House, Supermarine worked on the development of many aircraft, of which the most famous is the Spitfire but also includes the early Jet fighters like the Attacker, Swift and Scimitar.
In 1958 IBM started using the House and its grounds as development laboratories. In 1963 IBM purchased the 100 acres (405,000 m²) of land surrounding the house and have since erected a large modern office complex employing over 1500 people. The original house is still used by IBM as an Executive Briefing Centre; the original oak-panelled library - restocked with technical books - retains its former use. The lower ground floor of the house houses the IBM Hursley Museum.
Famous quotes containing the word house:
“Somewhere between the overly intrusive parent and the parent who forgets about us after we’re out of the house is the ideally empathetic parent who recognizes the relativity of choice, the errors of his or her own way, and our need to find our own way and who can stay with us at a respectful distance while we do it.”
—Roger Gould (20th century)