Benjamin Franklin House
Encyclopedia : B : BE : BEN : Benjamin Franklin House
Benjamin Franklin House is a museum in a terraced house in Craven Street, London, England, 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.
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.
- The House, as world's only remaining home of Benjamin Franklin, is historically significant:
- Franklin lived and worked there for sixteen years on the eve of the American Revolution
- First de facto US Embassy - holds a special place in Anglo-American history
- First site outside the US to gain Save America's Treasures designation
- Recognised by Tercentenary Committee (celebrating 300th anniversary of Franklin's birth in 2006) established by President George Bush
- Institute of Electrical Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 'Milestone' location
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. Basement excavations in 1998 revealed over 1200 cut and trepanned bones, apparently discarded following student dissections. The bones are now being catalogued by scientists at the University of London's Institute of Archaeology and provide fascinating information about the history of surgery.
Benjamin Franklin House More Recent History
While Benjamin Franklin was the most famous resident of 36 Craven Street, the Franklin connection has attracted many famous visitors to the House over the years including Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Senator George Mitchell, Dame Judi Dench, and Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.
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. The management team and numerous organisations and volunteers have worked tirelessly to realise a dynamic museum and educational facility that will highlight the timeless relevance of Benjamin Franklin and the tumultuous times in which he lived.
Conservation
All conservation work at Benjamin Franklin House adheres to the following principles:
- to minimise the extent of repair work
- to retain original material wherever possible
- to use traditional methods and materials wherever possible
- to provide long-term rather than ad hoc repairs
All works done within the House are approved in advance by the City of Westminster (our local planning authority) and English Heritage (the national organisation responsible for listed buildings). Our conservation strategy has been approved in partnership with these statutory authorities and we maintain a positive working relationship with the case officers with whom we work. All proposed works have received the necessary permission and consent.
As conservation and installation of the Historical Experience, Student Science Centre and Scholarship Centre is now finished, the public have, for the first time, access to a Grade I Georgian House, remarkable for its simplicity and original features, including a single staircase that links all floors of the House (which Franklin says he traversed for exercise!), featuring balustrades, three to a tread, with cut strings and curved brackets. The public will be exposed to a 'work-a-day' building of early 18th century construction with fielded panels, molded cornices, integral shutters, and the like.
Conservation of the building thus provides a platform on which to further understanding of the past, including the history of science. One part of the Historical Experience, the theatrical tour of the House using live interpretation, sound, and lighting, provides a fascinating glimpse into Benjamin Franklin's world of energy, dynamics, and invention. The Student Science Centre allows young people to explore this world through hands-on activities, encouraging them to think, question, and test. Through the model of Franklin, who translated scientific inquisitiveness into useful devices like the lightning rod, they discover it is possible to make positive and lasting contributions in science - and not just for personal gain; as they learn, Franklin never patented any of his inventions.
Historical Experience
The Historical Experience at Benjamin Franklin House stands alone among London attractions in its 'museum as theatre' approach, setting a new standard for historical interpretation.The main character in the Historical Experience is Polly Hewson, daughter of Franklin's landlady who became a 'second daughter' to Franklin. Accompanied by Polly, who will assume visitors are there to see Franklin on his last night in London when he had to leave or risk arrest, the visitor will experience a sense of the complexity of the man and the times in which he lived: food, health, botany, and daily living in the basement kitchen; social and personal relationships, musical inventions and political tension on the ground floor; scientific work, political triumphs and woes, and a hurried return to America in the face of the looming War of Independence on the first floor.
The dramatic tapestry, with the words of Franklin woven throughout, removes the traditional distance between museum and visitor, bringing a sense of the urgency and innovation that characterised Franklin's life in Britain. The Age of Enlightenment will be brought to life, revealing Franklin's belief in the interconnection of experimentation with personal and social responsibility.
The Historical Experience was developed in partnership with Event Communications, leaders in museum and heritage interpretation. They have worked on high profile projects with the Imperial War Museum North, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Canterbury Cathedral, among many others.
The script for the Historical Experience has been developed by talented writer Pat Lower. The following is an excerpt from the action in the 'Card Room' which focuses on Franklin's private interactions:
SOUND OF LIGHTNING STRIKEPolly: When in 1765 the Stamp Act was introduced Dr. Franklin did not foresee the explosion of riots that would occur in America and his wife Deborah wrote to tell him that his home in Philadelphia was in danger of being burned.
Sounds of rioting bricks through windows etc. lights flicker.Deborah: Ben, I have been under pressure to leave my house, but I have stayed. I ordered some sort of defence upstairs, such as I could manage myself. If any come to disturb me I would show a proper resentment and I should be very much affronted. God bless you and keep you, is the prayer of yours forever. Deborah Franklin.
Franklin: Debbie, My dear child I am much behind hand in answering my letters. I am well; ‘tis all I can say at present except that I am just now made very happy by a vote of the Commons repealing the Stamp Act. I honour much the spirit and courage you showed and the prudent preparations you made in that time of danger.
Student Science Centre
Franklin translated curiosity and discovery into practical ways of improving life and society. In essence Franklin said, 'I want to know; I can know.' The Student Science Centre allows students to re-create diverse experiments from Franklin's sojourn in London. The activities in the Student Science Centre are designed to support elements of the National Curriculum and stimulate inquisitiveness, creativity and critical thought through enjoyable play-based activity.The Student Science Centre encompasses the Medical History Room, the Discovery Room and the Demonstration Room.
The Medical History Room emphasis is on the medical research work of William Hewson, Polly's husband, who operated an anatomy school at 36 Craven Street. The Medical History Room exposes young minds to scientific enquiry and life processes.
In the Discovery Room, children are challenged to identify various objects or artefacts (originals, facsimiles, and present day items), to explain their function, to test their guesses and to suggest how they are used or work. Items are set in both a historical and scientific context.
The Demonstration Room features task-led, hands-on experiments that supplement the other learning activities and refer to Franklin's scientific activities at the House. Dramatic, interest-catching audio-visual segments will support the presentations, extending the lesson and enabling children to explore 'what if' questions such as 'what happens if lightning strikes a building with no lightning conductor?'
Scholarship Centre
The Scholarship Centre is located on the top floor of the House and is a centre for study of the many subjects Franklin pursued. Small changing exhibitions will explore themes related to Franklin and the Enlightenment.US, UK and other scholars have access - using print and online services - to the nearly 40 volumes of Franklin's writings produced, with analysis by scholars based at Yale University, thanks to support from the US Embassy London.
See also
- Benjamin Franklin National Memorial - in Philadelphia in the United States
External links
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.