Benjamin Franklin House
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Benjamin Franklin House is a museum in a terraced house in Craven Street, London, close to Trafalgar Square. It is the only surviving former home of Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The house dates from circa 1730 and Franklin lived and worked there for sixteen years. It opened to the public on 17 January 2006.
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[edit] About the house
The house, built circa 1730, is architecturally significant. It holds a Grade I listing and retains a majority of original features (central staircase; lathing; 18th century paneling; stoves; windows; fittings; beams; brick, etc) "unimproved" over time.
Franklin lived and worked there for sixteen years on the eve of the American Revolution, during which time it was the first de facto US Embassy. During his time at Craven Street (between 1757 and 1775), Benjamin Franklin conducted experiments such as measuring the effects of the Gulf Stream, exploring Daylight Saving Time and inventing bifocal lenses. One of his inventions during this time was a radical improvement of the glass "Armonica", an instrument for which Mozart and Beethoven composed music.
The house also served as the anatomy school of the pioneering doctor William Hewson, who married Polly, the daughter of Franklin’s landlady Margaret Stevenson, in 1770. In 1998 excavations revealed over 1200 cut and trepanned bones, apparently discarded following student dissections. The bones are now being catalogued by the University College London's Institute of Archaeology and provide information about the history of surgery.
The house is the first site outside the US to gain Save America's Treasures designation. It was recognised by the Tercentenary Committee (celebrating 300th anniversary of Franklin's birth in 2006) established by President George Bush, and is an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 'Milestone' location.
[edit] Recent history
Though built as a lodging house, in the 20th century the building was used as a hotel and as a base for several non-profit groups. By the end of the century, when the Friends of Benjamin Franklin House were granted the freehold to 36 Craven Street from the British Government, the property was in dire condition and on the verge of collapse. Substantial early funding was provided by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), which is based nearby, and of which Franklin was an active member during and after his London residence.
[edit] Conservation
36 Craven Street retains a number of original features (include original floorboards, original ceilings, and original fireplaces) with relatively few later alterations. Current conservation policies emphasise the need for minimal modern interventions.
[edit] Modern facilities
The "Historical Experience" includes an actor portraying historical characters associated with the house along with dialog, sound, lighting and special effects. The character used in the "Historical Experience" is Polly Hewson, daughter of Franklin's landlady who became a "second daughter" to Franklin.
The "Student Science Centre" allows students to re-create experiments from Franklin's sojourn in London. It includes a Medical History Room (focussed on the medical research work of William Hewson), a Discovery Room (containing historical artefacts) and a Demonstration Room (in which students can replicate Franklin's experiments).
The "Scholarship Centre" on the top floor of the House is a centre for study of the many subjects Franklin pursued.
[edit] See also
- Benjamin Franklin National Memorial — in Philadelphia in the United States
