Count Rumford Birthplace - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Standing at the west corner of Elm and Main Streets in far northern Woburn, Massachusetts, is an unassuming burgundy building surrounded by a white picket fence. This building, however, was the birthplace of one of the greatest American-born inventors of the early days of the country, Sir Benjamin Thompson (later Count Rumford).

Thompson would side with the royalists in the American Revolution, leaving for England and settling there (and later, France). His contributions to science were notable, mainly in thermodynamics. He also was an accomplished inventor - in fact, his influence on chimney and stove designs are felt to this day.

His legacy would live on as well - he founded the Royal Institution of Great Britain, and endowed medals of the Royal Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as a professorship at Harvard University.

Street address: 90 Elm Street Woburn, MA United States 01801 County / Borough / Parish: Middlesex Year listed: 1975 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person (Count Rumford) Periods of significance: 1750-1799 Historic function: Domestic Current function: Domestic, Recreation and Culture Privately owned?: yes Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/15/2011 NorStar visited it 05/30/2010 nomadwillie visited it 12/03/2006 Shorelander visited it

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