Dr Johnson's House
| Dr Johnson's House | |
|---|---|
 Dr Johnson's House seen from Gough Square, in 2010 | |
  Location within City of London | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | City of London London,EC4A |
| Country | England, United Kingdom |
| Completed | c.1700 |
| Renovated | 1914 |
| Client | Richard Gough |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5 |
| Designations | Grade I listed[1] |
| Known for | Home of Samuel Johnson from 1748 to 1759 |
Dr Johnson's Houseis awriter's house museuminLondonin the former home of the 18th-century English writer andlexicographerSamuel Johnson.The house is aGrade I listed building.[1]
Description[edit]
Built at the end of the 17th century by wool merchant Richard Gough[2](died 1728),[3]it is a rare example of a house of its era which survives in theCity of London(this refers only to the 'Square Mile' of the City area, as there are many other houses of this period elsewhere inGreater London) and is the only one of Johnson's 18 residences in the City to survive.[4][5]Four bays wide and five stories tall,[5]it is located at No. 17, Gough Square, a small L-shaped court, now pedestrianised, in a tangle of ancient alleyways just to the north ofFleet Street.[3]
Johnson lived and worked in the house from 1748 to 1759, paying a rent of £30, and he compiled his famousA Dictionary of the English Languagethere.[5][4]In the 19th century, it was used as a hotel, a print shop and a storehouse.[2]In 1911, it was purchased by newspaper magnate and politicianCecil Harmsworth,who later commented: "At the time of my purchase of the house in April 1911, it presented every appearance of squalor and decay… It is doubtful whether in the whole of London there existed a more forlorn or dilapidated tenement."[4][6]He restored the house under the direction of architectAlfred Burrand opened it to the public in 1914.[2][4]It is now operated by a charitable trust, Dr Johnson's House Trust Ltd.[2]
The house features panelled rooms, a pine staircase, and a collection of period furniture, prints and portraits. There are exhibitions about Johnson's life and work. The house has acommemorative plaqueinstalled on its exterior by theRoyal Society of Artsin 1898.[1]
See also[edit]
- Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museumin Lichfield
- Hodge (cat)
References[edit]
- ^abcHistoric England(4 January 1950)."Dr Johnsons House (1192738)".National Heritage List for England.Retrieved25 March2024.
- ^abcd"Dr Johnson's House – 17 Gough Square".Dr Johnson's House Trust. 2006.Retrieved31 July2016.
- ^abChristopher Hibbert; Ben Weinreb; John Keay; Julia Keay (2011).The London Encyclopaedia(3rd ed.). Pan Macmillan. p. 334.ISBN0-230-73878-8.
- ^abcdChristopher Hibbert; Ben Weinreb; John Keay; Julia Keay (2011).The London Encyclopaedia(3rd ed.). Pan Macmillan. pp. 443–444.ISBN0-230-73878-8.
- ^abcHenry Hitchings (2012).Dr Johnson's Dictionary: The Book that Defined the World.Hachette.ISBN1-84854-718-8.
- ^Andrew Davies (1988).Literary London.Macmillan. p. 235.ISBN0-333-45708-0.
Further reading[edit]
- Cecil Harmsworth; Helen Reid Cross; Daphne Macneile Dixon; Claudine Currey (1977).Dr. Johnson's house: Gough Square(revised ed.). Trustees of Dr. Johnson's House.
External links[edit]
| Life and topics | |
|---|---|
| People | |
| Essays and periodicals | |
Biography and criticism | |
| Miscellaneous prose | |
| Fiction and poetry | |
| |
| Wards | |
|---|---|
| Enclaves | |
| Localities | |
| Attractions |
|
| Notable structures | |
| Civil parishes | |
| Bridges | |
| Rail and tube stations | |
| Topics | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1700 establishments in England
- 1914 establishments in England
- Biographical museums in London
- Grade I listed buildings in the City of London
- Grade I listed houses
- Grade I listed museum buildings
- Historic house museums in London
- History of the City of London
- Houses completed in 1700
- Houses in the City of London
- Samuel Johnson
- Literary museums in London
- Museums established in 1914
- Museums in the City of London