The Oak House

The Oak House, located on Oak Road, is a timber-framed manor house dating from the early 17th century. Its original owners are unknown, but the family most closely associated with the house are the Turtons, who were living there by 1634. The Turtons also built brick additions to the rear of the house during the 1650s. The house remained in the Turton family until 1768, when it passed to William Whyley, the natural son of John Turton. It is thought that the house was named after an oak tree that burned down around 1800, or the oak woodland that once surrounded the house.

The last John Turton advised William Whyley to fell the trees, and in 1768 many were used to make lock-gates for the Birmingham Canal, which was then being built through West Bromwich. John Wesley preached at the house on two occasions in the late 18th century, while it was still in the ownership of William Whyley. The house remained in the Whyley family until 1837. Following a succession of owners, Reuben Farley (three times Mayor of West Bromwich) purchased the property in 18xx.

Alderman Reuben Farley was one of the town's greatest benefactors. He purchased the Oak House with the intention of making it his private residence, but resolved to present it to the town as a museum. The leading architects in West Bromwich, Messrs. Wood and Kendrick, were employed with the task of restoring the house. Skilled craftsmanship ensured the outstanding quality of the restoration and the museum was formally opened on 25 July 1898; gardens and a bowling green were also laid out.

To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the gift, the corporation decided to convert the Oak House into a period house with antique furnishings; the formal reopening took place in 1951. In 1949 the house was protected as a Grade II* listed building. It was upgraded to a Grade I listed building on 27 September 2024.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons