Bohemians in St. John's Wood
An Extraordinary History of a London House
During August-December 1996, John was assigned by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences to a secondment on the staff of the Royal Society of London. The president of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Bruce Alberts, owned a house in the affluent London neighborhood of St. John’s Wood west of Regent’s Park. He invited John and Sheldon to live in the house during John’s work at the Royal Society.
For over 200 years, St. John’s Wood had a “bohemian” reputation as home to artists, writers, and mistresses of wealthy aristocrats and plutocrats. Today it is home to financiers, movie stars and famous rock musicians. The Beatles’ Abbey Road Studios is just down the block from the residence.
In researching the history of this house on the Web, we have discovered that the building at 2A Nugent Terrace has served various purposes throughout its history. Some of the different uses of the house include:
- Carriage House: In 1815, the building was originally built as a carriage house for the next-door manor house at 6 Abercorn Place, providing storage and shelter for carriages and horses.
- Artist Atelier: In 1880, a second floor was built as a workspace for famous Victorian Era painters and muralists.
- Music Salon: During the 1940s the atelier functioned as a music salon for private piano recitals, with patrons including British royalty
- Private Residence: The building was converted to a private residence, providing a kitchen and two bedrooms below, becoming 2A Nugent Terrace. Residents and their relatives included members of the Bloomsbury Set and the Rothschild family.
- Conference Space: The house now serves as a conference space for meetings related to the authorship of a worldwide best-selling scientific textbook
