Oak Knoll (Winchester, Massachusetts)

Oak Knoll is set on a large lot at the center of a rough circle formed by Brooks Street and Grove Street in a residential area of southern Winchester. It has a setting at the top of a low hill, whose drama has been reduced somewhat by encroaching development. It is a large 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, with asymmetrical massing and busy slate roof typical of the Queen Anne style. The roof is pierced by four brick chimneys with corbelled tops, another Queen Anne hallmark. The main entrance is located on the eastern side in a corner between cross-gable sections, sheltered by a porch with Colonial Revival detailing.^[2]

The house stands on land that once belonged to the locally prominent Symmes family. The land was purchased in 1891 by Lewis Parkhurst, who served as Winchester High School principal before joining the publishing firm of Edwin Ginn. He was active in civic affairs, representing the town in the state senate, and serving as president of Middlesex National Bank, the town's first commercial bank. Parkhurst School, built in 1949, was named in his honor.^[2]

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Winchester, Massachusetts