Eastgate House, Rochester facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eastgate House |
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Eastgate House
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| OS grid reference | TQ74486833 |
| Built | 1590/1 |
| Built for | Sir Peter Buck |
| Governing body | Eastgate House Trust |
| Type | Grade II* |
| Designated | 24 October 1950 |
| Reference no. | 1086482 |
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Eastgate House is a really old and special house in Rochester, Kent, England. It was built way back in the 1590s! This amazing building is famous because the well-known writer Charles Dickens used it in two of his books. In The Pickwick Papers, it was called Westgate. In The Mystery of Edwin Drood, it was known as the Nun's House. Today, Eastgate House is a museum about Dickens. You can even see the little wooden chalet where he wrote some of his famous stories, right in the house's garden!
Contents
Exploring Eastgate House History
Eastgate House has a long and interesting past. It has been many things over the centuries.
Who Built Eastgate House?
The house was built around 1590 or 1591. It was made for Sir Peter Buck. He was the Mayor of Medway. He was also an important official at Chatham Dockyard.
Families and Schools at Eastgate House
After Sir Peter Buck, five generations of his family lived here. Later, the Parker family moved in during 1687. In the 1750s, the Bartholemew family owned the house. They lived there until the mid-18th century.
In 1761, Annabel Darwin owned the house. Then, in 1791, James Reed lived there. It is not clear who started a school at the house first. A free school was mentioned in a book about Rochester in 1772. By 1841, it became a boarding school for girls. Rebecca Norton ran this school.
Charles Dickens and Eastgate House
The house is very famous for its connection to Charles Dickens. He used it in his books. In The Pickwick Papers (1836), it was called 'Westgate'. In The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870), it was known as the 'Nun's House'.
Later Uses of the House
In the 1870s, Eastgate House became a private home again. Samuel Shaw, a coal merchant, owned it. His family later moved to Canada.
In 1890, the house became a hostel for young men. Then, in 1897, it was a restaurant that did not serve alcohol. In 1903, the Rochester City Council changed the building. They made it into a public library and museum. This was to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.
Eastgate House as a Museum Today
From 1923, Eastgate House was used as a Dickens Museum. The special Swiss chalet where Dickens wrote is in the garden. It was moved there from his home at Gad's Hill in the 1960s.
The Dickens Centre closed in 2004. But in 2012, Medway Council got money to fix up the house. They wanted to make it a place for art and history events. It reopened in July 2017. Now, you can visit Eastgate House on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Discovering Eastgate House Architecture
The outside of Eastgate House is made of brick. It is very old and needs careful repairs.
Inside the House
A beam in one of the upstairs rooms shows the date 1591. This tells us when the house was built. Workers are now fixing pipes and wires inside. They are also adding new heating and lights. A new lift and staircase are being put in too.
Hidden Discoveries
During the renovations, conservators found some cool things. They removed old paint layers. Underneath, they found a mysterious drawing of a man's face. It looked like it was from the 16th century. They also found a pattern of black lines. This pattern was similar to a painting found on the second floor.
Exploring the Eastgate House Grounds
When Eastgate House was first finished, its gardens were huge! They stretched far to the west and north.
Designing the Gardens
In the 1920s, a famous designer named Sir Guy Dawber worked on the gardens. He also designed an extra building and a small cottage on the property.
