Dr Johnson's House is a
writer's house museum
Writers' homes (sometimes writer's, author's or literary houses) are locations where writers lived. Frequently, these homes are preserved as historic house museums and literary tourism destinations, called writer's home museums, especially when t ...
in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
in the former home of the 18th-century English writer and
lexicographer
Lexicography is the study of lexicons, and is divided into two separate academic disciplines. It is the art of compiling dictionaries.
* Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries.
* Theoretica ...
Samuel Johnson. The house is a
Grade I listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
Description
Built at the end of the seventeenth 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
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
(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 saw use 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.]
See also
* Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum
Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum is a biographical museum and bookshop located in the centre of the city of Lichfield, Staffordshire, in England. The building is a Grade I listed building situated at the corner of Market Street and Breadmarket S ...
in Lichfield
* Hodge (cat)
Hodge (fl. c.1769) was one of Samuel Johnson's cats, immortalised in a characteristically whimsical passage in James Boswell's 1791 book ''Life of Johnson''.
Although there is little known about Hodge, such as his life, his death, or any othe ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
Image of Dr Johnson's House
at the English Heritage Archive
The Historic England Archive is the public archive of Historic England, located in The Engine House on Fire Fly Avenue in Swindon, formerly part of the Swindon Works of the Great Western Railway.
It is a public archive of architectural and arch ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doctor Johnson's House
Houses in the City of London
History of the City of London
Biographical museums in London
Literary museums in London
Historic house museums in London
Museums in the City of London
Houses completed in 1700
Museums established in 1914
1914 establishments in England
Samuel Johnson
Grade I listed houses
Grade I listed buildings in the City of London
Grade I listed museum buildings
1700 establishments in England