enjamin Franklin was already a renowned scientist when he arrived in London on his first diplomatic mission, having coined such terms as ‘battery’, ‘positive/negative’ and ‘charge’ through his work on electricity. While lodging at 36 Craven Street, Franklin conducted many further important experiments and research projects such as:

• 'Smoothing' water with oil
• Investigating canal depths and their implication
• Recording the effects of the Gulf stream
• Developing an alternative alphabet

Franklin also invented the following in his Craven Street laboratory, a key room on the Historical Experience at Benjamin Franklin House:

• An "economical" clock with three wheels to ensure a perpetual 24-hour cycle
• A popular fireplace draught, the ‘Franklin stove’
• The glass armonica (or harmonica), for which Mozart and Bach composed
• Bifocal spectacles
• A new, more effective lightning rod – installed on the dome of St Paul’s cathedral, London

In recognition of these innovations, 36 Craven Street has been designated a ‘Milestone in Electrical Engineering and Computing’ by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.