Soho House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Soho House |
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Soho House from the front
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| Location | Handsworth |
| OS grid reference | SP 05332 89078 |
| Area | Birmingham |
| Built | c. 1756 |
| Governing body | Birmingham Museums Trust |
| Owner | Birmingham City Council |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Designated | 25 April 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1076151 |
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Soho House is a cool museum in Handsworth, Birmingham. It celebrates the life of a very important person named Matthew Boulton. He was an entrepreneur, which means he was a business person who started new projects.
The museum also shows off Boulton's work with James Watt. Watt was famous for improving the steam engine. Soho House was also the meeting place for a special group called the Lunar Society of Birmingham. This group included smart thinkers who helped start the Industrial Revolution.
Soho House is an old building from the 1700s. It was Matthew Boulton's home from 1766 until he died in 1809. It's a Grade II* listed building, which means it's a very important historical place.
Contents
History of Soho House
Matthew Boulton's Home
Matthew Boulton was a very important business person in the 1700s. In 1761, he rented an old building called Soho Mill. He turned it into a big factory called Soho Manufactory.
Next to the factory, there was a small house. Boulton made this house much bigger and changed it many times. He covered the outside of the house with painted slate. This made it look like it was built with large stone blocks.
Boulton moved into Soho House once his factory was finished. The Soho Manufactory was later taken down in 1863.
The Lunar Society's Meeting Place
In 1766, Matthew Boulton helped start the Lunar Society of Birmingham. This was a group of smart people who met to talk about science and new ideas. They often met at Soho House.
In 1789, Boulton asked an architect named Samuel Wyatt to make the house and gardens even better. Samuel's brother, James Wyatt, helped design a new main entrance. He also designed a large dining room. This dining room became the regular place for the Lunar Society to meet.
Soho House is a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historical building.
Soho House After Boulton
After Matthew Boulton passed away, his son, Matthew Robinson Boulton, took over the house. Later, his grandson, Matthew Piers Watt Boulton, owned it. In 1850, the family sold the house.
Over the years, Soho House had different owners. At one point, it was even used as a place for police officers to live. In 1990, the Birmingham City Council bought the house. They opened it as a museum in 1995.
What You Can See at Soho House
Soho House has been carefully fixed up to look like it did in the 1700s. Inside, you can see beautiful collections of ormolu, silver, furniture, and paintings. Ormolu is a type of gold-colored metal.
You'll especially notice the silver and ormolu items. These were made right in Boulton's factory! There's also a special clock called an ormolu Sidereal clock. Boulton and his partner Fothergill made it in 1771–72.
Outside the house, there's a Blue Plaque. This plaque remembers Matthew Boulton and his importance. The garden used to be huge, over 100 acres! Now it's smaller, but it still has a path with sphinx statues from around 1795. Part of the garden has been replanted to look like Boulton's original garden.
Visiting the Museum
Soho House is a special Heritage Site. It's part of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery. The Birmingham City Council owns the building.
Since April 2012, a group called Birmingham Museums Trust has been in charge of running Soho House. They also run other museums that used to be managed by the city council.
The museum often has cool exhibitions about local history and the community. Before 2011, it was free to visit the house. Now, there's a small fee to go inside. But if you are under 16, you can still get in for free! The gardens, grounds, and visitor areas are free for everyone to enjoy.
Some artists have even lived and worked at Soho House. These include Vanley Burke and Pauline Bailey.
See also
In Spanish: Casa Soho para niños
