Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin House is a five-storey Georgian townhouse in London and the world’s only surviving home of Benjamin Franklin. Franklin lived there from 1757 to 1775 as a colonial agent, printer, philosopher, inventor, and diplomat. Its parlour hosted guests and political discussions linking eighteenth-century Britain with America.
During Franklin’s residence, William Hewson established a private anatomy school there with Franklin’s encouragement. Conservation work in the late 1990s uncovered more than 1,200 bone fragments from at least 15 people. Cut marks on femurs and trepanned skulls point to medical teaching rather than anything more sinister. Franklin also helped Hewson gain election to Britain’s Royal Society, connecting the house with contemporary scientific life.
Today, the museum combines architectural features with tours about Franklin’s London life and work. Sound, lighting, and visual projections evoke the scientific experiments and domestic routines of his period. Uneven floors and no wheelchair access remain part of this historic interior.
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