Strawberry Hill
Façade before conservation, 2003
Strawberry Hill, Horace Walpole’s 18th century home is arguably the birthplace of the Gothic Revival movement. In the core of the structure lies a modest building of the 1690s, enlarged in the 1720s. In 1747, the building and a few acres were acquired by Horace Walpole and then from 1748 to 1790, he designed a richly layered and complex suite of rooms to showcase his continuously growing collection of art and antiquities and created one of the earliest informal landscape gardens. As a wonder of the architectural world, the house is notable for its deliberate contrasts of light and color and the love of drama invested in every detail of the building, its decorations, and its furniture. With support from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the Robert W. Wilson Challenge to Conserve Our Heritage, World Monuments Fund was able to contribute to the preservation of Walpole’s Gothic villa, which welcomes visitors today in the spirit of Walpole’s own delight in guiding people through his home.
