Hillsborough Castle and Gardens have launched a new exhibition that showcases their connection to Benjamin Franklin who comissioned the building of Hillsborough Castle and Britain’s first Secretary of State for the Colonies. The exhibition marks the 250th anniversary of US Independence.
Visitors will experience the story of Franklin and Wills Hill who commissioned the building of Hillsborough Castle and Britain’s first Secretary of State for the Colonies. In January 1771, the two men clashed in London during a heated exchange over Franklin’s appointment as agent for Massachusetts.
The exhibition will showcase Hillsborough Castle’s historic state dining room where Franklin dined during his stay and was has temporarily been name after him for the exhibition. It explores how dialogue, diplomacy and disagreement contributed to events that would soon reshape the world.
Caroline Walker, Head of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, said: “As America marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, this exhibition shines a light on Hillsborough Castle’s remarkable connection to that defining moment in world history.”
The exhibition will also showcase a rare July 1776 New York printing of the Declaration of Independence, three original letters from the Franklin Papers, Franklin’s personal 18th-century chess pieces and an iconic 1777 portrait of him by French artist Jean-Baptiste Greuze.
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said: “Projects like Franklin, Hillsborough and the Seeds of Independence highlight Northern Ireland’s unique place in a global story and help strengthen our bonds and connections with the United States. I am pleased that with the support of my Department, Hillsborough Castle and Gardens is helping to share this remarkable story with people across Northern Ireland and beyond.”
