joseph priestley house

I've been to this Museum two times, and I couldn't believe how rich Joseph & his Priestley Family was! Joseph was a famous English Immigrant and Millionaire who came to the United States in 1794, and lived at this house, until 1804, when he died at the age of 71. What he is famous for is not the fact that he was a rich man: he was the person who discovered Oxygen, when he still lived back in England, in 1767. The picture seen at the top of the screen is not the house, itself, but a chapel that was built on the Priestley Grounds in the 1870's. Pretty unique place!

This is not a large site. Nor is it host to any significant incident in American history But I thought it was worth a visit. It definitely provides a great perspective into life in colonial America. Also, it is very easily accessed from the main highway.

This is a great place to take your kids, especially nice for a homeschooler's field trip.Priestly was a genius, some call him the "father of modern chemistry". Indeed using his findings from his raw research, many others could open up many paths to products of the industrial age. Joseph Priestley was also a very serious Bible reader who challenged the erroneous courses of Christendom, and was punished for taking a stand for Bible truth.The Priestley House is rather well preserved, although it changed hands several times after Joseph Priestley died. The furniture in place, was not of course his own, as his estate was dispersed after his death. However, there are some of his books, a clock, and his microscope that have been saved and returned to his home. The furniture in place is of the proper era of his life, and it does well in bringing the home to life. The house sits on a hill overlooking the river.There are a number of information boards on display that explain his activities at the house. The home is a fine building with high ceilings, so you do not feel cramped while touring the house, even if there is a crowd at the house when you visit. The rooms are well lit and sunny. On the walls in the brick laboratory building on the grounds, there are some very nice displays that explain the man and his work. On Charter Day, a docent was dressed as Priestley and was conducting experiments for the visitors on hand. He was very entertaining and knowledgeable, as all of the docents on hand were."Take aways".... The home is easy to find as there are a number of street signs guiding you to the house through town.The museum is open for guided tours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (except Easter) from mid-March until the end of November. Tours are at 1, 2 and 3 PM. Tours at other times can be arranged. A fee is charged. The Museum has a gift shop.As a primer for your visit, a very good read is the recent book " The Invention of Air " by Steven Johnson, a book on the life of Joseph Priestley. If you cannot find a copy, you can pick up a paperback copy ( as I did) at the onsite gift shop for $10.

The house is sited beside the Susquehanna River (in fact, it has suffered from previous flooding), a charming specimen of colonial architecture and ingenuity (the shutters fold away into cavities around the window wells). The museum is organized by a local historical society with a modest collection.The house was home to Joseph Priestly, the 18th century discoverer of oxygen, and arguably one of the most significant persons in the development of modern science.

I'd seen signs for the house when driving through Pennsylvania and was initially puzzled - - I associated him with the English Enlightenment, and never realized he'd immigrated to an out-of-the way bank of the Susquehanna. So we were pleased when we had some time recently when we happened to be meeting family in Selinsgrove, and could visit the place. The house itself is an interesting style, designed by his wife, and done in a simple but appealing way. A bit run-down. The original gardens no longer exist, and instead of what must have been a picturesque setting on the river, the house is now cheek by jowl with a railroad and a little league field. Penn State owned the place for a while and apparently built a strange little brick building in the yard, smelling of mildew, where we saw a brief but well-done movie about Priestley's life. According to our guide, it included one of the first structures built as an actual scientific laboratory. The lab has some recreated glassware, etc. and a furnace, but no real displays and our guide could not tell us much about what had gone on there. We love history and exploring local museums and old buildings, and always appreciate the staff who keep these places going, often on a shoestring. The Priestly House seems like a surprisingly neglected bit of history - -anyone interested in the Declaration of Independence or chemistry or Unitarianism should take the brief detour to get there. But, reluctantly, I have to say, our tour didn't seem to have much oxygen. The staff need to brush up on their history and presentation skills a bit and enthusiastically convey what makes Priestly such an unusual and interesting character -- a combined theologian, scientist and political writer, who was a friend of Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin. The film and the wall plaques in the visitor center were very well done -- Selinsgrove has some good eating places, so if you are in the area, definitely stop by. It has a lot of potential.

Priestly is, simply a trip, and this site is worth the trip. Bring a picnic, there's nothing else here, but if you are at all interested in science or history or both this house is an amazing place to visit.

Whoever maintains this place does an excellent job! Their guides know their stuff and make it very entertaining. Love these old houses, but this one is exceptional!

Jospeh Priestley was a major historical figure, not only in science but also politics and religion. He was closely affiliated with Franklin, Jefferson, Lavosier, and many other. THis story needs to be more widely known, and this house needs to be much more visited. Check for opening hours, though, as the volunteers can keep it iopen mostly on weekends. We were lucky to be included in a demonstraiotn of 18th century scientific expereiments by Dr. Priestley himself, a superbly interesting and well-informed chemist volunteer, and that made it speacial--so call ahead for schedules.

Hidden off the main street. Interesting history of how pencyllin was made