Franklin & the House
Benjamin Franklin House at 36 Craven Street in the heart of London is a heritage ‘gem.’
The world’s only remaining home of Benjamin Franklin opened to the public for the first time on 17 January 2006, Franklin’s 300th birthday, as a dynamic museum and educational facility.
Though built as a lodging house, in the twentieth century the building was used as a hotel and a base for several non-profit groups. By the late 1990s, when the Friends of Benjamin Franklin House were granted the freehold to 36 Craven Street from the British government, the property was in dire condition. The Board, management team, numerous organisations and volunteers worked together to realise a dynamic museum and educational facility highlighting the timeless relevance of Benjamin Franklin and the tumultuous times in which he lived.
Benjamin Franklin may be the most famous resident from 36 Craven Street, but it has its own rich and varied history. Today, the House brings Franklin’s time in London to life for visitors through the Historical Experience, Architectural Tours and an engaging calendar of events. Our vibrant, free education programme allows children to discover Franklin’s science and Georgian London in the building or in the classroom. Discover more!
Franklin in London
For nearly sixteen years between 1757 and 1775, Dr Benjamin Franklin – scientist, diplomat, philosopher, inventor, Founding Father of the United States and more – lived at 36 Craven Street. While he may have been in London as chief colonial diplomat, his time here encompassed much more than politics.
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The House Today
The House today brings history and innovation to life though the Historical Experience; Architectural Tours; the Student Science Centre, which serves over 2000 students each year in the building and in the community; and some 40 public events of the Robert H Smith Scholarship Centre.
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History of the House
Built as a lodging house circa 1730, the House was home to Franklin for nearly 16 years (1757-1762; 1764-1775). Today the House holds England’s highest Grade I heritage listing for its association with Franklin and its many Georgian features.
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Artefacts
Benjamin Franklin House is all about the story, so rather than bring in items unoriginal to the building, the rooms are unfurnished. We do, however, have some real treasures in our small collection, including Franklin’s Moroccan leather wallet.
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Craven Street Bones
In 1998, as conservation got underway in the House, we found bones, both human and animal, under the floor of our Seminar Room (originally the garden in Franklin’s day). From a one metre wide, one metre deep pit, over 1200 pieces of bone were retrieved and are the remnants of an anatomy school run from the House by William Hewson, son-in-law of Franklin’s landlady, Margaret Stevenson.
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Lives Revealed: The Hidden Figures of Franklin’s London Home
An all-new permanent exhibition at Benjamin Franklin House
Benjamin Franklin House has unveiled the first phase of a new permanent exhibition, Lives Revealed: The Hidden Figures of Franklin’s London Home. Centring on Peter and John King, two people enslaved who lived and laboured in the Franklin household, this exhibition explores legacies of Peter and John King as well as Franklin’s evolving views on slavery.
Unfortunately, most of what we know about Peter and John King comes from the depictions provided by the Franklin family, meaning that their voices are filtered through those of the people who enslaved them. However, project curators worked closely with a diverse team of history and heritage experts to explore the dynamics of representation in history and to lend Peter and John King not only faces, but a greater, long overdue senses of identity.
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Informed by extensive historiographical research and a thorough investigation of the Franklin papers, project curators worked to fill the gaps in the historical records by drawing upon the stories and experiences of figures like Olaudah Equiano, Billy Waters, and Ignatius Sancho, which parallel those of Peter and John King in some ways. New interpretive panels accompany portraits crafted by artist Selena Scott and clearly distinguish what is drawn from documented evidence and what is creative interpretation.
This transparent approach invites visitors to reflect critically on how history is captured and curated. In deepening our understanding of Peter and John King as human beings, the Benjamin Franklin House can more fully and transparently reflect on Franklin’s journey from complicit involvement in the institution of slavery to an eventual stance of abolitionism.
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To officially launch the exhibition and mark the beginning of Black History Month, Deputy Director Dr Michael Hall and Public Engagement Manager Dr Megan King invited a range of guests from London’s history and heritage community – including academics, public historians, artists, and philanthropists – to the House on 1st October 2025 for the chance to enjoy the unveiling of the portraits alongside specially-curated performances.
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Project Contributors
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Dr Michael Hall, Curator
Michael is Deputy Director at Benjamin Franklin House, where he leads fundraising strategy, operational delivery, and public engagement for this unique historic site. With previous experience across architecture, design, and heritage, Michael’s career has been defined by a commitment to preserving cultural assets while ensuring they remain relevant, inclusive, and dynamic for contemporary audiences.
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Dr Megan King, Curator
Megan is the Public Engagement Manager at Benjamin Franklin House. Drawing on her research, which focuses on practices of nonviolent resistance in pre-Revolutionary America, and her experience as an educator and a youth advocate, Megan aims to develop innovative, inclusive programming for visitors of all ages and interests.
Megan also serves as the project coordinator for the Age of Revolution project, which provides free educational resources to school students across the UK.
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Selena Scott, Artist
Selena is a British artist based in San Francisco, USA. Her work aims to redefine the portrayal of Black people through a variety of mediums, including oil painting, film, textiles, and animation. Through her portraiture, she challenges historical narratives by centring Black identity. Grounded in extensive research involving historical archives and spoken stories, she explores themes of trauma, racism, and colonialism, rooted in her Caribbean heritage.
Selena co-created the graphic novel ‘Billy Waters: Songs from the Shadows’, with the Age of Revolution project. She is also the author and illustrator of the ‘Cambridge Black History Colouring Book’, created with the Fitzwilliam Museum, aimed at educating and celebrating Black history.
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H.E. Ross, Poet
H.E. Ross is a San Francisco-born African American sailor who writes. He has worked for over 40 years in the Caribbean and has established two Black maritime heritage organisations and published two cultural life-style magazines, Turks and Caicos Chronicle and the Islands Chronicle that covered the Turks and Caicos Islands, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cayman Islands and Key West. Ross is currently working on an online inter-active blog that researches the migration routes by sea for our human migration out from Africa, which you can find here: https://www.sailheritage.co.uk/.
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Sejel Bodereau, Composer
Sejel Bodereau is a Singer-songwriter, Composer, Music Producer, Yoga Teacher from London. Sejel started singing at a very early age and playing the guitar at 13. Growing up in a musical home, and with a family of yogis, practicing yoga and meditation was a natural part of daily life. While teaching yoga and meditation, Sejel continued studying music completing her Classical and Jazz Singing to Grade 8 with Trinity College London and learning music theory, piano, harmonium, drums and bass guitar. Sejel finds that composition flows most naturally through the peaceful experiences of mantra meditation where melodies can be heard, sometimes along with lyrics and often reflecting ideas that might have stemmed from contemplation on imaginary as well as real life experiences. The songs are not strictly genre specific as Sejel naturally draws inspiration from a broad range of cultures, periods, and styles. The results are soulful songs with melodic hooks and globally inspired rhythms, often weaving and conveying themes of love, peace, and unity. Sejel’s songs are available on her YouTube channel, Sejel Bodereau Music, as well as on Spotify, Apple Music and all other streaming platforms worldwide.
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Pierre Tate-Lemiere, Violinist
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Tracey Jarrett, Consultant
Tracey is a Community Development Worker & Community Activist Pan-Africanist. She is also founder & CEO of Shine Your Light, Training Consultant in Equality Diversity Inclusion (EDI) with special knowledge in Black Mental Matters, UK Racism, Gender Inequality, and Older People; delivering Bespoke and licensed training courses. She is also a Radio Show presenter on the Community Talk Show for Galaxy Radio Station and podcaster. She leads the study group on BLACK Autonomous Spaces.
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Joyce Jacca, Consultant
Joyce is a founder of the Deptford People’s Heritage Museum. She is an international community development organiser with over 30 years of experience. In addition to her work at the museum, Joyce is currently Health Inequalities Community Development Worker for PCN and founder of Future of Women International (FOWI), which supports and empowers women and groups in self-development. She is a former Evelyn ward Councillor, and is also a member of We Women.
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Special Thanks
Lives Revealed was made possible with support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, Benjamin Franklin House has been able to begin working to restore with dignity the presence of Peter and John King to the space they once occupied. This exhibition has allowed us to deepen our interpretation of Franklin’s complex legacy and shed new light on the individuals behind the founding father.
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The Franklin Trail
Learn more about Franklin's time in the United Kingdom, by visiting or reading about other sites he travelled to and frequented.
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