Wilberforce House is a Britishhistoric house museum, part of theMuseums Quarter of Kingston-upon-Hull. It is the birthplace of social reformerWilliam Wilberforce (1759–1833), who used his time as amember of Parliament to work forthe abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire. Like the nearbyBlaydes House and Maister House, also on theHigh Street, theGrade I listed building[1] was formerly a merchant's house with access to quayside on theRiver Hull.[2]
The house is now a museum showcasing the life and work of one of Hull's most famous sons. The museum re-opened on 25 March 2007, after a two-year £1.6 million redevelopment, in time for the 200th anniversary of Wilberforce'sAct of Parliament abolishing theslave trade in the British Empire.[3]
The front garden, named afterNelson Mandela,[4] contains a statue of Wilberforce which underwent a £10,000 restoration in 2011.[5] The statue was designated aGrade II* in 1994 and is now recorded in theNational Heritage List for England, maintained byHistoric England.[6] Adjoining the site isOriel Chambers, the home of theUniversity of Hull'sWilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation which conducts research into historic and contemporary forms of slavery.[7]
The house also exhibits theEast Yorkshire regimental collection.[8]
The house was forced to close in 2020 because of theCOVID-19 pandemic, taking the opportunity to refresh its offer and undertake vital repairs. The building reopened to the public in May 2023.[9]
53°44′40″N0°19′48″W / 53.744461°N 0.330073°W /53.744461; -0.330073
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