Who We Are
The Seward House Museum is the historic home of William Henry Seward and his family. Between 1816 and 1951, four generations of the Miller and Seward families lived on this site in Auburn, NY, and the museum interprets their historical lives with the help of an almost completely original collection of family objects and furniture. Seward held various political positions, such as New York Senator, New York Governor, United States Senator, and Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He is most remembered for spearheading the purchase of Alaska in 1867.
In 1951 William Henry Seward III bequeathed the family home in Auburn, NY to the Fred L. Emerson Foundation to serve as living memorial to his famous father and grandfather. After a few years of careful preparation, the Seward House opened to the public in 1955, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964, and now displays one of the most original collections of any historic home in America. In 2008 the museum established itself as its own independent 501-C3 not for profit museum.
What We Do
The Seward House Museum's mission is to inspire curiosity and foster learning about 19th century America through the lens of the William H. Seward family by providing engaging and unique experiences; to preserve, protect and care for the collection; and to sustain the historical landscape.
