Johnson lived and worked in the
house from 1748 to 1759, and he compiled his famous
A Dictionary of the English Language there. In the 19th
century it saw use as a hotel, a print shop and a storehouse. In
1911, it was purchased by a Member of Parliament called Cecil
Harmsworth, who later commented, "At the time of my purchase
of the house in April 1911, it presented every appearance of
squalor and decay…It is doubtful whether in the whole of London
there existed a more forlorn or dilapidated tenement." He
restored the house and opened it to the public in 1912. It is
now operated by a charitable trust. The house features paneled
rooms, a pine staircase, and a collection of period furniture,
prints and portraits. There are exhibitions about Johnson's life
and work.