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.

Contents 1 About the House 1.1 Benjamin Franklin House More Recent History 2 Conservation 3 Historical Experience 4 Student Science Centre 5 Scholarship Centre 6 See also 7 External links

[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.

• 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

Fascinating history of medicine dimension—Franklin's landlady's son-in-law ran an anatomy school from Craven Street The House has gained official recognition:

• 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

During his time at Craven Street (between 1757 and 1775), Benjamin Franklin conducted numerous important experiments at 36 Craven Street such as measuring the effects of the Gulf Stream, exploring Daylight Saving Time and inventing bi-focal 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. 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.

[edit] 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 and on the verge of collapse.

[edit] Conservation

According to the official website of the Benjamin Franklin House [1], 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

36 Craven Street retains a high degree of authentic features, with relatively few later alterations. These include original floorboards, original ceilings, and original fireplaces. Combined with Benjamin Franklin's long residence, the House is of special cultural importance, reflected in its Grade I status.

All works done within the House are approved in advance by the City of Westminster and English Heritage, the British organisation responsible for listed buildings.

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 are exposed to a 'work-a-day' building of early 18th century construction with fielded panels, molded cornices, integral shutters, and the like.

[edit] Historical Experience

The "Historical Experience" is a historically-themed dramatic production that is presented to visitors to the Benjamin Franklin House which 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 "Historical Experience" was developed in partnership with Event Communications, a company that produces museum and heritage interpretations. The script for the Historical Experience was developed by writer Pat Lower.

[edit] Student Science Centre

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?'

[edit] 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.

UK, US 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.

[edit] See also

• Benjamin Franklin National Memorial - in Philadelphia in the United States

[edit] External links

• Official site