Joseph Priestley House facts for kids
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Joseph Priestley House
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Priestley Avenue side of the Joseph Priestley House in 2007
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Northumberland, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1794 - 1798 |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000673 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 12, 1965 |
| Designated NHL | October 15, 1966 |
The Joseph Priestley House was the American home of Joseph Priestley (1733–1804). He was a famous British scientist, teacher, and religious leader. He lived in this house from 1798 until he passed away.
The house is located in Northumberland, Pennsylvania. It was designed by Priestley's wife, Mary. The house has a Georgian style with Federalist touches.
From 1970 to 2009, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) ran the house as a museum. It closed for a short time due to fewer visitors and budget cuts. But it reopened in October 2009. The PHMC still owns it, but a group called the Friends of Joseph Priestley House (FJPH) now helps run it.
The Priestley family moved to the United States in 1794. They were looking for a peaceful life away from problems in Britain. They wanted to avoid city life, so they built their home in rural Pennsylvania.
After the Priestleys died, their home was owned by private families for many years. In the early 1900s, a professor named George Gilbert Pond bought it. He wanted to create the first Priestley museum. Sadly, he died before he could finish.
The house was carefully restored in the 1960s by the PHMC. It was then named a National Historic Landmark. Another renovation happened in the 1990s. This work made the home look just like it did when Priestley lived there. The American Chemical Society often celebrates important events at the house. These include the discovery of oxygen gas.
Contents
Where is the Joseph Priestley House?
The area where Northumberland is located was settled by European immigrants after the French and Indian War (1755–63). The town of Northumberland was planned in 1772. The land was bought from the Iroquois people in 1768.
During the American Revolution, the village was emptied in 1778. People only started living there again in 1784. By 1794, when the Priestleys moved in, Northumberland was a small town. It had about one hundred houses, stores, and various workshops.
The Priestley family bought their land in 1794 for £500. This land was part of the original town plan. Today, the house and its grounds cover 1 acre (4,000 m2) at 472 Priestley Avenue. The street was later renamed in honor of Joseph Priestley.
The house is near the Susquehanna River. The West Branch Susquehanna River meets the main river branch close to the property. The house is about 456 feet (139 m) above sea level.
Around 1830, the Pennsylvania Canal (North Branch Division) was built. It went through the house's front yard, cutting the property in half. Later, a railroad line was built near the house. The canal closed in 1902. Today, the modern railroad line follows the old canal's path.
Priestley's Life in America
Moving to Northumberland
The last few years for the Priestleys in Britain were difficult. During the Birmingham Riots of 1791, their home and church were burned. This happened because of strong feelings against people like Priestley. The Priestleys moved to London, but they still faced problems.
In 1794, they decided to move to America. They were part of a large group of people leaving Europe. The Priestleys left Britain in April and arrived in New York City in June 1794. Two of their sons had already moved to the U.S.
In Europe, Priestley was known as a scientist. He had discovered oxygen gas in 1774. But in America, people knew him as a supporter of religious freedom. When he arrived, many groups wanted his support. However, Priestley wanted to avoid arguments. He wrote that he wished "to live undisturbed." He also turned down a job teaching chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania.
On their way to Northumberland, the Priestleys stopped in Philadelphia. Joseph gave several sermons there. These talks helped spread Unitarianism in America. Priestley became a key leader for this religion in the U.S. Many churches were started because of his influence.
Priestley enjoyed preaching in Philadelphia. But living there was too expensive. He also worried about a recent illness outbreak in the city. He thought about living in Germantown. But his wife, Mary, preferred the countryside. She wanted to be near their sons.
So, Priestley decided to settle in Northumberland by July 1794. It was a five-day journey north of Philadelphia. They hoped their new community would grow.
Settling In
Priestley missed the busy life of a big city. He wrote to his sister that Northumberland felt "almost out of the world." He complained about waiting a week for news. He told a friend that they knew little about what was happening in Europe.
In his letters, Priestley often called himself an "exile." He still thought of England as his true home. However, his wife, Mary, was happier. She wrote that she was "thankful to meet with so sweet a situation and so peaceful a retreat." She found the country beautiful and the people kind.
Priestley's son, Joseph Priestley Jr., was part of a group that bought a large area of land. A friend of Joseph Priestley, Thomas Cooper, wrote a pamphlet. It encouraged people to move to Pennsylvania.
Inspired by Cooper's ideas, poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth wanted to move to America. They planned to create a perfect community called "Pantisocracy." But they never raised enough money. Few immigrants came to Northumberland from Cooper's plans.
After these plans failed, Priestley tried to convince other friends to move to Northumberland. But no one did. Priestley wrote that he decided to stay because he liked the place. He also said it was cheaper than Philadelphia. And his sons would be safer there.
Later Years
Priestley tried to avoid arguments in the U.S., but it was hard. A journalist named William Cobbett wrote false stories about him. Cobbett said Priestley was causing trouble. He also tried to make people doubt Priestley's science.
Priestley also faced family sadness. His youngest son, Harry, died in 1795. Mary Priestley, his wife, died in 1796. She had been ill and was heartbroken by her son's death. Joseph wrote that she had put "much thought in planning the new house." Now that it was almost done, she was gone.
Priestley continued his work in education. He helped start the "Northumberland Academy." He also gave his large library to the new school. He exchanged letters with Thomas Jefferson about how to set up a university. Jefferson used Priestley's advice when he founded the University of Virginia.
Priestley also kept up his scientific research. But he didn't get much news from Europe. So, he wasn't always aware of the newest discoveries. Most of his work focused on defending older scientific ideas. But he did some new work on how living things appear and on dreams.
Even though his scientific work was less important, Priestley sparked an interest in chemistry in America.
By 1801, Priestley became very ill. He could no longer write or do experiments well. He died on February 6, 1804, in his library. He was buried in Riverview Cemetery in Northumberland. His gravestone has a special message:
Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the
Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.
I will lay me down in peace and sleep till
I awake in the morning of the resurrection.
House Design and Gardens
Joseph and Mary lived in a small house with their son Joseph Jr.'s family while their new home was being built. Mary Priestley was the main designer of the house. Her family's money might have helped pay for it. Sadly, she died before it was finished.
By 1797, Joseph's laboratory was ready. It was the first part of the home to be completed. This was the first lab he had designed and built himself. It was likely the first fully equipped science lab in the United States. In this lab, Joseph continued his work. He even identified carbon monoxide.
In 1798, Joseph Jr. and his family moved into the new house with Joseph Priestley. The house also held Priestley's library. It had about 1600 books when he died. This was one of the largest libraries in America at the time. The Priestley family held church services in the drawing room. Joseph also taught a group of young men there.
The main house was finished in 1798. It was built in an 18th-century Georgian style. This style is known for its "balance and symmetry." The house also had Federalist details. These included special fanlights above the doors. These touches made it look distinctly American.
The house is a "mansion" and a great example of the Federal style. Priestley's American home was different from his grand house in Birmingham. It was "plain" and built in an "American style."
The house has a tall central section with two smaller wings. The central part is 48 feet (14.6 m) by 43 feet (13.1 m). The wings are each 22 feet (6.7 m) by 21 feet (6.4 m). The first and second floors cover over 5,000 square feet (469 m2). The north wing was the laboratory. The south wing was the summer kitchen. The house originally had no wallpaper. The walls and wood were painted "a brilliant white."
The house is made of wood, covered with white clapboards. It sits on a stone foundation. The Priestleys used wood because stone or brick was not available. Joseph wrote that he preferred a house made of this dried wood. However, a journalist once called the house a "shed" to criticize Joseph.
The central part of the house has a slate roof. It has a deck with a railing. There are three chimneys. The house faces the Susquehanna River. Both the front and back doors have a small porch. A circular driveway leads to the front door.
From the house, there were beautiful views of the river and countryside. Priestley built a high wall to block the view of the town. He also added a small tower, called a belvedere, to the roof. This allowed him to see the landscape better. His gardens were a smaller version of the beautiful gardens at Bowood, where he used to work.
Building the house was hard because there weren't many skilled workers in Northumberland. For example, the main staircase might have been put together from a kit. It is one step too short for the hallway. This suggests they couldn't find someone to finish it perfectly.
House Ownership and Museum History
After Mary and Joseph Priestley died, their son Joseph Priestley, Jr. and his wife lived in the house until 1811. Then they moved back to Britain and sold the home. The house was owned by many different people during the 1800s. In 1911, the last private resident moved out. The house was then rented to the Pennsylvania Railroad for its workers. This led to the house and its grounds falling into disrepair.
Professor George Gilbert Pond was the first person to try and create a permanent Priestley museum at the house. He bought the home in 1919 for $6,000. Pond thought a new railroad line would destroy the house. He planned to move it to Pennsylvania State College (now Pennsylvania State University). But he died in 1920 before this could happen. The railroad line was never built, and the house was too fragile to move.
The college kept the house as a museum. Some restoration work was done in the 1920s. A small brick building was built on the grounds in 1926. It was meant to be a fireproof museum for Priestley's books and science tools.
In 1955, the college gave the house to the town of Northumberland. From 1955 to 1959, the house was both the town hall and a museum. But it was too expensive for the town to keep. So, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania bought it in 1961.
In 1968, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) began restoring it. The museum opened to the public in October 1970. The renovations included restoring the laboratory. They also removed decorations added later and put doorways back in their original places. The PHMC was supported by "The Friends of the Joseph Priestley House" (FJPH). This group helps with tours, events, and museum work.
Between 1998 and 1999, a major renovation took place. The goal was to make the grounds look exactly as they did when Priestley lived there. This included rebuilding the carriage barn, hog sties, horse stalls, gardens, and fences. These structures were based on old drawings and records.
Priestley didn't write much about his laboratory. But we know a lot about his experiments and labs from that time. Research in 1996 found two underground ovens and signs of a simple fume hood. The 1998 renovations also restored the lab to its original state.
After Joseph's death, some of his science tools and belongings were sold to Dickinson College. The college displays them each year. The house lost its original furniture when Joseph Jr. moved back to England. So, the house is now furnished with items donated by Priestley's family. It also has items similar to what he owned. Many of Joseph and Mary's personal items are on display. These include Joseph's balance scales and microscope.
On January 12, 1965, the Joseph Priestley House was named a National Historic Landmark. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1966. In 1994, the American Chemical Society named it a National Historic Chemical Landmark. Many of Priestley's family members attended the ceremony.
The Northumberland Historic District, which includes the Priestley House, was listed on the NRHP in 1988. The district also includes the Priestley-Forsyth Memorial Library. This building was once an inn and was owned by a great-grandson of the Priestleys. Today, it is Northumberland's public library. The Joseph Priestley Memorial Chapel was built in 1834 by his grandson. It is home to a Unitarian Universalist church that sees Priestley as its founder.
Under the PHMC, the museum was open ten months a year. In 2007 and 2008, the number of visitors stayed steady. In 2007–08, there were 1,705 visitors. The budget for the house was $142,901.
In March 2009, the PHMC suggested closing six of its museums, including the Joseph Priestley House. This was due to "low visitation and limited potential for growth." Despite public protests, the state closed the Priestley House on August 14, 2009. This was due to a lack of funding.
That month, the Friends of the Joseph Priestley House (FJPH) offered a plan. They would operate the house on weekends with volunteers. On September 24, 2009, the PHMC and FJPH signed an agreement. The house reopened on October 3, with volunteers from the FJPH. This agreement can be renewed each year. It lets FJPH manage programs and fees.
On November 1, a "grand reopening celebration" was held. It included costumed volunteer guides and chemistry demonstrations in Priestley's laboratory. On November 7, 2010, the brick Pond building was rededicated after an $85,000 renovation. This renovation made it accessible for people with disabilities. It also added new roofing, heating, and lighting. The FJPH plans to add a timeline of Priestley's scientific work in the Pond building. They also plan to show a video about his lab techniques.
American Chemical Society Events
The American Chemical Society (ACS) often uses the Joseph Priestley House for special events. On July 31 and August 1, 1874, 77 chemists visited the site. They celebrated 100 years since Priestley discovered oxygen. This meeting is seen as the first National Chemistry Congress. Many believe it led to the ACS being formed two years later.
On September 5, 1926, about 500 ACS members met at the home again. They dedicated the small brick museum. They also celebrated the meeting 50 years earlier.
Representatives from the ACS were at the museum's dedication in October 1970. On April 25, 1974, about 400 chemists visited the home. The Priestley Medal, the highest honor from the ACS, was given to Paul Flory at the house that day. A copy of the medal is on display at the house.
On August 1, 1974, over 500 chemists visited the house to celebrate "Oxygen Day." In October 1976, the ACS celebrated its own 100th anniversary in Northumberland. A large replica of Priestley's laboratory equipment was given to the house for display.
On April 13, 1983, ACS President Fred Basolo spoke at the house. This was to celebrate Priestley's 250th birthday. It was also part of a ceremony for a new U.S. Postal Service stamp honoring Joseph Priestley. In 2001, the ACS met at the house again. They celebrated the society's 125th anniversary. They even re-enacted parts of the 1874 and 1926 celebrations. This included a march to Priestley's grave, where each person left a red rose.
