The history of Treasurer's House

A picturesque town house nestling in the centre of York, Treasurer's House has many tales to tell, none more fascinating than how it came to look like it does today.
Out of the ordinary
Its 2,000 year history includes a reportedly haunted Roman road below the cellar and Edwardian servants' quarters in the attics, with 13 period rooms in between. It is in these period rooms we house the collection and tell the story of Frank Green. The small award winning garden is a tranquil oasis in the centre of the city and is planted with cold blues and whites, befitting an Edwardian gentleman.
Fascinating Frank
Frank Green was a wealthy industrialist frp, Wakefield and passionate collector who renovated Treasurer’s House to showcase his collection in historical surroundings. He donated Treasurer's House to the National Trust in 1930 and was the first to be gifted to the charity complete with its collection.
Re-imagining Treasurer's House
Despite its place in York's skyline the residence that now stands on the site of Treasurer's House is not the very same one that existed even 200 years before. Under the ambitious instruction of Mr Frank Green the house took on a new face.
Whilst the great and good of Yorkshire were sacrificing their estates under the pressure of a changing society, Frank was resurrecting and in some cases re-imagining a new fresh construct of his own design.

Three became one
Although many people have lived in Treasurer’s House, it was Frank Green who most shaped the space you can see and explore today. He had the wealth to indulge his passions for travel and collecting antiquities and created his version of a historic house. In the late 1800s he bought three separate buildings and set-to creating the house you see today.
Treasurer’s House became a show piece for Frank's furniture, objects, art and historical knowledge, but it also expressed Frank’s interest in preserving the history of the city of York.
A unique collection
The 13 period rooms house antique furniture, ceramics, textiles and paintings from a 300-year heritage. Find out more about the stories behind some of the key pieces by talking to the friendly room guides on your visit or uncover the stories behind some of the collection...

Top ten things to see in Treasurer's House
Explore the house and discover our model of a Napoleonic gunship, a selection of interesting clocks and Verre Eglomisé mirror among many other highlights of our collection.