Today we visited the Benjamin Franklin House in London, the last-standing residence in the world of the revered U.S. Founding Father. Situated close to Trafalgar Square, it dates from 1730 and Franklin lived and worked here for sixteen years, ultimately returning to the U.S. in 1775. The house has its original floorboards, ceilings and staircases. When it was being renovated in the 1990s, over 1000 bones were found in the basement from at least 15 different people. The bones dated to Franklin's time. It is believed there was once an anatomy school run in the basement by William Hewson, the son-in-law of Franklin's landlady. The tour was a highly informative and entertaining multi-media show including a costumed guide performing as Polly, the landlady's daughter and dear friend of Franklin. I am a big fan of Ben Franklin, the brilliant polymath who gave us many erudite quotes including "lost time is never found again" and "haste makes waste".
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| Facade of Franklin's house. |
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Also on Craven Street is this residence once occupied by
Herman Melville, American author of Moby Dick. |
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| A nearby watering hole. |
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| The lively Seven Dials neighborhood. |
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Seven Dials Monument, where
7 roads converge. |
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| Diners in Soho. |
Looked at all your recent postings and what an eye opening history education you are getting (and I am reading about).
ReplyDeleteThe buildings and scenery are just stunning and you will always have these memories. Thanks for sharing.