Gresham College. Illustration of Gresham College, the first home of the Royal Society. This building was situated at Bishopsgate in the City of London and was built by Sir Thomas Gresham in 1566 as a mansion house and Royal Exchange. When Gresham and his wife had died his plans for founding a college at the site of Gresham House and the Royal Exchange were put into practice. Lecturers were appointed, and by 1645 Gresham College had become a meeting place for scientists and thinkers. The Royal Society grew out of these meetings and was founded in 1660 to promote experimental scientific learning. The founding meeting was attended by Christopher Wren and Robert Boyle, amongst others.