Paxton House, Berwickshire facts for kids
Paxton House is a beautiful old country house located in Paxton, Berwickshire, in the Scottish Borders area of Scotland. It sits near the River Tweed, not far from Berwick-upon-Tweed.
This grand house was built a long time ago, between 1758 and 1766. It was designed by famous architects like James Adam and John Adam. The inside of the house was decorated by Robert Adam, and some of the furniture was made by Thomas Chippendale. Later, an East Wing was added in 1812-1813 by architect Robert Reid to hold a library and an art gallery.
Over the years, many families lived at Paxton House. In 1988, the last owner, John David Home Robertson, who was a member of Parliament, decided to protect the house and its land. He placed them into a special trust called the Paxton House Historic Building Preservation Trust. Today, Paxton House is open for everyone to visit. It is also a special partner gallery with the National Galleries Scotland.
The History of Paxton House
Paxton House was originally built for a man named Patrick Home of Billie. He hoped to impress a princess from Prussia with this amazing house, but it didn't work out. Still, the house became a wonderful home for many generations.
Other important people who lived here included Alexander Home and his son George Home. In 1852, a woman named Jean Milne inherited the house. Her husband, David Milne, then changed his name to David Milne-Home to keep the family name connected to the house.
The ownership of Paxton House passed through different family lines over the years. When there were no direct male heirs, the house would pass to a female family member, and the family name would sometimes change to reflect this.
Paxton House Art Gallery
The art gallery at Paxton House has an interesting story. In 1780, Patrick Home of Wedderburn returned from a long trip around Europe, called a "Grand Tour." He had collected many British and European paintings. Sadly, he passed away before his paintings were even unpacked.
Later, Jean Home, who inherited the house and the paintings, hired a famous architect named Robert Reid. He designed and built the East Wing of Paxton House specifically to hold a library and a large art gallery. Today, this gallery is the only room in the house that still displays a collection of paintings.
The Paxton Trust, working with the National Galleries Scotland, has carefully restored the gallery to look just as it did in the past. While Patrick Home's original paintings are no longer all together, a collection from the National Gallery is now displayed there. These paintings are hung in the style of the 19th century, giving visitors a glimpse into how art was displayed long ago.
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