Treasurer's House, York facts for kids
The building in 2023
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| Location | Minster Yard, York, England |
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| Type | Historic house museum |
| Founder | Frank Green |
| Architect | Temple Moore, others |
| Owner | National Trust |
| Public transit access | York Station  0.7 mi (1.1 km) |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name | Treasurer's House and attached garden walls, gate and gate piers |
| Designated | 14 June 1954 |
| Reference no. | 1257251 |
| Official name | York Minster cathedral precinct: including Bootham Bar and the length of City Walls extending round the precinct up to Monk Bar |
| Designated | 8 October 1937 |
| Reference no. | 1017777 |
The Treasurer's House is a very old and important house in York, England. It is owned by the National Trust, a group that looks after special places. The house also has a lovely garden. You can find it right next to York Minster, a famous cathedral.
Contents
History of Treasurer's House
Who Lived Here First?
The first person to live in a house on this spot was the Treasurer for York Minster. This job started in 1091. The Treasurer was in charge of the Minster's money. He needed a big house to welcome important guests. Not much of his original house is left today. Some old walls are part of a nearby building called Grays Court.
Changes Over the Centuries
The house was used by Treasurers until 1547. This was when the English Reformation happened. The job of Treasurer ended then. The house was given to the King. It then passed to different owners.
The Young family owned the house in the 1500s. They made many changes to it. They added the front of the house that you see today. They rebuilt most of the house. In 1617, King James I even visited the house! After the Young family, the house had many different owners. Over time, it was split into smaller homes.
How Frank Green Saved the House
The house was brought back to its original grand state by Frank Green. He was a rich businessman from York. Between 1897 and 1898, he bought all the different parts of the house. He hired an architect named Temple Moore to help him. They worked to restore the house and remove later additions. Most of this work was finished by 1900.
In June 1900, important guests visited the house. These included Prince Albert Edward, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, and Princess Victoria. When Frank Green retired in 1930, he gave the house to the National Trust. This was a special gift. It was the first time a private home and all its furniture were given to the Trust.
Roman History Underneath
The Treasurer's House was built right over an old Roman road. This road led out of Roman York to the north. When Frank Green was making changes, workers found four old Roman column bases. One of these is still in the cellar today.
Visiting Treasurer's House
You can visit the Treasurer's House. There is a fee to get in. Members of the National Trust can enter for free. The garden is free to visit. There is also a café downstairs that is free to enter. Sometimes, you can even take tours of the cellar and attic. This depends on the time of year.
Mysteries of Treasurer's House
Ghost Stories and Sightings
Many people say that ghosts live in the Treasurer's House. One ghost is said to be George Aislaby. He owned the house in the 1600s. But the most famous ghost story is about a group of Roman soldiers. People have seen them in the cellar.
The Roman Soldiers Apparition
The Roman soldiers were first seen by a guest of Frank Green. Many years later, they were seen again. This happened during restoration work by the National Trust. In 1953, a young plumber named Harry Martindale was working in the cellar. He was fixing pipes.
After a few hours, Harry heard a strange sound. It sounded like a trumpet. The sound got louder. Then, he saw a soldier appear from the wall. The soldier wore a helmet with feathers. A cart horse followed him. Then, about ten more Roman soldiers appeared.
Harry was very scared and fell off his ladder. He hid in a corner. The soldiers looked like legionaries. They were only visible from their knees up. They were marching in a line. They looked a bit messy. They carried round shields on their left arms. They also had daggers on their right side. They wore green tunics. When they reached the level of the old Roman road, Harry could see their feet. They wore open sandals with leather straps.
Harry was so frightened that he did not return to work for weeks. Years later, discoveries in York showed that Harry's description was correct. His details matched how local reserve soldiers dressed. These soldiers took over the Roman garrison when the regular soldiers left in the fifth century. Harry told his story many times. He never changed any details and never asked for money.
The Treasurer's House was even featured on a TV show. It was in the first episode of the Discovery Channel series Ghosthunters.
See also
In Spanish: Treasurer's House para niños
