In this article, we will explore Dr Johnson's House and its impact on today's society. Dr Johnson's House has been a topic of debate for years, and its influence extends to various areas of daily life. Since its emergence, Dr Johnson's House has played a crucial role in the way people interact, communicate and develop. As we move forward in the digital age, it is important to understand how Dr Johnson's House continues to shape our world and what implications it has for the future. This article will analyze the different aspects of Dr Johnson's House and its relevance in the current context, providing a comprehensive view of its importance and possible consequences. Get ready to immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Dr Johnson's House!
Dr Johnson's House | |
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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 |
Known for | Home of Samuel Johnson from 1748 to 1759 |
Dr Johnson's House is a writer's house museum in London in the former home of the 18th-century English writer and lexicographer Samuel Johnson. The house is a Grade I listed building.
Built at the end of the 17th century by wool merchant Richard Gough (died 1728), it is a rare example of a house of its era which survives in the City of London (this refers only to the 'Square Mile' of the City area, as there are many other houses of this period elsewhere in Greater London) and is the only one of Johnson's 18 residences in the City to survive. Four bays wide and five stories tall, 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 of Fleet Street.
Johnson lived and worked in the house from 1748 to 1759, paying a rent of £30, and he compiled his famous A Dictionary of the English Language there. In the 19th century, it was used as a hotel, a print shop and a storehouse. In 1911, it was purchased by newspaper magnate and politician Cecil 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." He restored the house under the direction of architect Alfred Burr and opened it to the public in 1914. It is now operated by a charitable trust, Dr Johnson's House Trust Ltd.
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 a commemorative plaque installed on its exterior by the Royal Society of Arts in 1898.