Dr Johnson's House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dr Johnson's House |
|
|---|---|
Dr Johnson's House seen from Gough Square, in 2010
|
|
| General information | |
| Town or city | City of London London, EC4A |
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
| Completed | c. 1700 |
| Renovated | 1914 |
| Client | Richard Gough |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5 |
| Designations | Grade I listed |
| Known for | Home of Samuel Johnson from 1748 to 1759 |
Dr Johnson's House is a special museum in London. It was once the home of a famous English writer named Samuel Johnson. He lived here in the 1700s. Johnson was also a lexicographer. This means he wrote dictionaries. This house is very old and important. It is known as a Grade I listed building. This means it's a historic place that must be protected.
Contents
Exploring Dr Johnson's Historic Home
This old house was built around the year 1700. A wool merchant named Richard Gough built it. It is one of the few houses from that time still standing in the City of London. Samuel Johnson lived in 18 different places in the City. This is the only one that remains today.
The house is located at No. 17, Gough Square. This is a small, quiet area near Fleet Street. The house is four bays wide and five stories tall. It has many old features inside. These include wood-paneled rooms and a beautiful pine staircase. You can also see old furniture, pictures, and portraits.
Samuel Johnson's Time There
Samuel Johnson lived and worked in this house from 1748 to 1759. He paid £30 a year in rent. This was a lot of money back then! While living here, Johnson created his most famous work. It was called A Dictionary of the English Language. This dictionary was a huge achievement. It helped define the English language for many years.
Bringing the House Back to Life
After Johnson left, the house was used for different things. In the 1800s, it was a hotel. It was also a print shop and a storage building. By the early 1900s, the house was in very bad shape. It looked worn out and neglected.
In 1911, a newspaper owner named Cecil Harmsworth bought the house. He wanted to save it. Harmsworth said the house looked "forlorn and dilapidated." He worked with an architect named Alfred Burr. Together, they carefully restored the house. It was opened to the public as a museum in 1914.
Today, a charity called Dr Johnson's House Trust Ltd runs the museum. You can visit to learn about Johnson's life and work. There are special exhibitions to explore. Outside the house, you can see a blue plaque. This plaque was put there in 1898. It tells everyone that a famous person once lived in that spot.
See also
- Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum in Lichfield
- Hodge (cat)
