Who Will Resuscitate The Joseph Priestley House?
Who Will Resuscitate The Joseph Priestley House?
Looking north, the dramatic, but severe view of the Joseph Priestley House facade at Northumberland, Pennsylvania.Looking southeast at the Mansion House and its Sesquhenna River Facade of the Joseph Priestley House.
- Looking Northeast, the side elevation of the mansion (right), barn (far left), the double privy (on left), and the fences of the Joseph Priestley Estate (House).
- Looking northeast at the Side Elevation of the Mansion House of the Joseph Priestley House.
- Laboratory Interior View with Retort Experimentation, Joseph Priestley House, Northumberland, Pennsylvania
- Memorial Building by the American Chemical Foundation, Colonial Revival Building…
We arrived at the Joseph Priestley House in Northumberland, Pennsylvania on a Tuesday in June 2012. We were only there a few minutes as the site was closed due to a limitation of hours in the aftermath of Pennsylvania budget cuts. Upon arrival a young girl was rattling the door to realize that the site was closed during the week, she then returned to her mother’s car, waiting by the curb. We saw the hours: Saturday-Sunday 1:00-4:00 PM, circled the house and premises documenting our visit with photographs, happy, at least, that the place was in good repair. As we walked to the car, a woman was reading the hours sign, sadly returning to her male companion’s vehicle in Priestley parking lot. We left feeling sad that culture, history and such notable sites are not completely valued in today’s world of entitlements &tc. Not only did Joseph Priestley build a fine wooden house (mansion), but he was arguably one of the most interesting men of the 18th century–certainly, as he “discovered” oxygen!
I am not affiliated with the Priestley House other than the fact that I have become a member of the Friends of the Joseph Priestley House. I have contributed money to help this not -for-profit organization that has taken over the day to day responsibility of running the Priestley House. Without voluntary contributions even the weekend schedule would not be possible. Please consider a donation for this very worthy cause. I agree with you that a place like this should be given the honor and respect it deserves with an appropriate recognition of its place in our nation’s history and in recognition of the brilliance of the man who once inhabited it.
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