American Museum and Gardens facts for kids
Claverton Manor, which houses the main museum collection
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| Established | 1961 |
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| Location | Claverton, Somerset, England |
| Founder | Dallas Pratt and John Judkyn |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Reference #: | 1214609 |
The American Museum and Gardens is a special place in Claverton, near Bath, England. It's the only museum outside the United States dedicated to American art and culture. You can find amazing American furniture, beautiful quilts, and unique folk art here.
The museum is located in a grand 19th-century house called Claverton Manor. It's surrounded by lovely gardens that look out over the River Avon valley. This museum helps people in the UK learn more about American history and culture.
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Discovering Claverton Manor
Claverton Manor is a large country house built between 1819 and 1820. It was designed for John Vivian, a lawyer who bought the land in 1816. The house sits on a steep hill overlooking the Avon valley, about 2 miles (3 km) east of Bath.
The house has three floors and is made from smooth, cut stone. The side facing the river has curved sections and a square porch. The south side features decorative columns and a triangular top with the Vivian family's coat of arms. The building is so important that it was given a Grade I listing in 1956.
Many important people owned the estate before the museum founders. Sir Edward Hungerford, a Member of Parliament, owned it in the early 1600s. Later, the Bassett family owned it for many years. In 1758, Ralph Allen, who owned famous Bath stone quarries, bought the property.
John Vivian bought the estate in 1816 and built the current house. His son, George Vivian, who was an artist, helped create the beautiful gardens. Later, in 1897, Winston Churchill gave his first public speech in these gardens. During World War II, the house was even used by the Royal Air Force.
In 1958, Dallas Pratt and John Judkyn bought the house and grounds. They had a big dream to create a museum there.
The American Museum's Story
The museum was started by two friends who loved collecting antiques. Dallas Pratt was an American psychiatrist and John Judkyn was a British designer. They wanted to share American culture with people in the UK.
The museum first opened its doors on July 1, 1961. It was the first and only museum outside the US to focus on American decorative arts. Their goal was to help people understand American cultural history better. This helps strengthen the friendship between the United States and the United Kingdom.
The museum has been very popular, welcoming over 3 million visitors by 2012. The old coach house on the estate is now used for special events like weddings. Richard Wendorf was the museum's director from 2010 to 2021.
Amazing Collections and Exhibitions
Inside Claverton Manor, you'll find many cool American items. The museum has decorative arts, antiques, and folk art. There are also "Period Rooms" that show what American homes looked like from the late 1600s to the 1860s.
These rooms are like stepping back in time! You can see a Puritan home from the 1600s, an 18th-century tavern, and a fancy New Orleans bedroom from before the American Civil War. The museum also has famous Shaker furniture, over 200 quilts, and more than 200 old maps. It has the biggest collection of American folk art in Europe.
You can see works by artists like Susan Powers, John Brewster, Jr., Ammi Phillips, and William Matthew Prior. There are also carved eagles by Wilhelm Schimmel and Frederick Myrick.
Every year, the museum hosts new exhibitions about more recent American history. Past shows have included "The Colourful World of Kaffe Fassett" and "Shooting Stars: Britain and America in the 1970s." These special exhibitions are in a separate building, which also has the museum's gift shop.
Exploring the Beautiful Gardens
The museum's gardens are set in the stunning River Avon valley. They offer amazing views of the village of Limpley Stoke and the Kennet and Avon Canal. You can even find a small grotto with a water spout!
The gardens combine English and American design styles. When the museum first opened, Lanning Roper designed a beautiful flower border. Since then, the 30 acres around the house have grown to include many features. There's a replica of George Washington’s garden from Mount Vernon, a Lewis and Clark trail, and an arboretum with American trees.
The Mount Vernon Garden is a copy of a part of George Washington's garden. It opened in 1962 and was restored in 2018 to look even more like the original.
In 2018, the New American Garden opened. This was part of a big project to update the lawns and herb gardens near the manor house. It's now the largest collection of American garden features in the UK. This garden was designed by American landscape architects Oehme van Sweden. It uses native American plants and works with the hilly land. The new path, called The Winding Way, is easy to use for everyone. It goes around the lawns, the American Rose Collection, and an outdoor theater space.
How the Museum is Run
The American Museum and Gardens is run by a registered charity. A group of trustees oversees everything to make sure the museum runs well. It was first set up in 1959 and became a registered charity in 1968.
