Down House was the home of Charles Darwin, where he wrote his famous book On the Origin of Species. After his death, the house became a girls’ school and later a museum. English Heritage restored the house and it is now open to the public, showcasing Darwin’s life and work.
Down House was the home of the famous British naturalist, Charles Darwin, best known for his theory of evolution. Darin lived in this house with his cousin who became a wife during the second half of the 19th century. After his death, the house was rented out and turned into a girls’ school, before being turned into a museum. In the late 20th century it was obtained by English Heritage and restored to its former glory before being opened to the public.
Charles Darwin began his education studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh, but quickly realized that the profession was not for him. He was later enrolled at Christ’s College, Cambridge University, where he seemed more interested in collecting various specimens of insects and plants than in studying theology. In 1931 he embarked on a five year voyage aboard a ship called HMS Beagle. It was during this journey that Darwin began forming ideas that later resulted in his theory of evolution.
After his return, Darwin began work on finishing his own, which was generally considered radical at the time. He married his cousin, Emma Wedgwood, in January 1839. The two lived for some years in London. As their family began to feel cramped in their small home, however, they began looking for more suitable accommodations.
In 1842, Darwin and his family moved to Down House. Located in a small Kentish village, Down House seemed to be the perfect home for the Darwin family. It was located in a rural area away from most major roads and afforded Darwin a quiet space to write and study natural specimens. It was at Down House that Darwin wrote his famous book On the Origin of Species Means of Natural Selection, published in 1859.
While living at Down House, Emma and Darwin had eight more children in addition to the two they already had. Unfortunately, only seven of the Darwin children lived beyond their childhood years. Darwin often believed that consanguinity played a role in the deaths of his three other children.
Charles Darwin died at Down House in 1882. His wife Emma died in 1896. After her death, their son, George, rented the house until 1906. A boarding school for girls was opened there in 1907, but it was later moved to a larger property in 1922. A less successful girls’ school took its place, but closed a few years later. Down House was then purchased by the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1927 and opened as a museum in 1929.
In 1996, English Heritage, an English historical society, acquired Down House. The house and grounds were then restored and later reopened to tourists and science enthusiasts in 1998. Today, visitors to the house can walk through the house, guided by a talking media device. Most of the rooms have been restored to the way they were when the Darwin family occupied the house, but some of the upstairs bedrooms also contain scientific exhibits. Visitors can also explore the gardens and view a collection of Darwin’s original notebooks.
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