Benjamin Franklin House facts for kids
Benjamin Franklin House is a special museum in a historic building in London, England. It's located at 36 Craven Street, very close to Trafalgar Square. This house is the only former home of Benjamin Franklin that is still standing. Franklin was one of the important Founding Fathers of the United States, who helped create the USA. He lived and worked in this house for 16 years. The museum first opened its doors to visitors on January 17, 2006. The house is considered a very important historic building in England.
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Discovering History: The House's Story
The Benjamin Franklin House was carefully repaired and brought back to life in 1998. This work was done by a group called The Friends of Benjamin Franklin House. Their goal was to turn the old house into the museum you can visit today.
What Was Found During Repairs?
During the renovation work, something unexpected was found in the basement. Workers discovered the bones of 10 different people. Some of these bones belonged to children. Scientists studied the bones and found they were about 200 years old. This meant they were likely buried when Benjamin Franklin lived there.
Who Was William Hewson?
Further studies showed that a close friend of Franklin, named William Hewson, was connected to the bones. Hewson was an early anatomist, a scientist who studies the human body. He lived in the house for two years. At that time, it was not always legal to study human bodies in public. So, Hewson worked in secret. Benjamin Franklin probably knew what Hewson was doing, but he likely did not help with the dissections himself.
Keeping the House Original
The museum at 36 Craven Street is a very important historic building. It still has many of its original parts. These include the old floorboards, ceilings, and staircases. Not many changes have been made to the house over the years. Today, experts try to keep the house as it was. They only make small changes when absolutely needed.
Special Items in the House
One interesting item you can see is a modern copy of a glass harmonica. This musical instrument was designed by Benjamin Franklin himself! You can even play this replica.
Fun and Learning: Modern Facilities
The Benjamin Franklin House offers several ways to learn and explore. These activities make history come alive for visitors.
The Historical Experience
The "Historical Experience" is a special show that uses actors. An actor plays a historical person connected to the house. They talk, and there are sounds, lights, and special effects. The main character in this show is often Polly Hewson. She was the daughter of Franklin's landlady and became like a second daughter to him.
The Student Science Centre
The "Student Science Centre" is a great place for students. Here, you can try out experiments that Franklin did when he lived in London.
- The Medical History Room focuses on the medical research of William Hewson. He did his work from this house for a time.
- The Discovery Room holds many historical items.
- The Demonstration Room lets students try Franklin's experiments themselves.
The Benjamin Franklin House welcomes school groups for free on Tuesdays. While it's great for younger students, visits can be changed for students of all ages.
The Scholarship Centre
On the top floor of the house is the "Scholarship Centre." This is a place where people can study the many different subjects Franklin was interested in. He studied many things, from science to politics.
The Literary Prize
The Benjamin Franklin House also holds an annual Literary Prize. In this competition, people write about a quote from Benjamin Franklin. They explain what the quote means today.
See also
- Benjamin Franklin National Memorial — a memorial in Philadelphia, USA
