Avenue St Andrew's United Reformed Church facts for kids
Avenue St. Andrew's is a United Reformed Church located in Southampton, England. This church building is special because it is a Grade II listed building, which means it's an important historical site.
Contents
The Church's Story
How It All Began: Above Bar Church
The church's history started way back in 1662. It was first known as Above Bar Congregational Church. A famous hymn writer named Isaac Watts had a father who was a leader in this church.
Over time, the church grew, and the original building became too small. So, a new one was built in 1727. Later, in 1819, that building was taken down to make way for an even bigger church. This new building cost almost £6,000 and was finished in 1820. It was a very important church in Southampton during the 1800s.
Sadly, during World War II, on November 30, 1940, the church building was destroyed by bombs from the Luftwaffe (the German air force). After this, many people from the church started going to a nearby church called St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. The minister of Above Bar Church also moved to St. Andrew's.
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church was founded in 1853. As years passed, fewer people lived in the area around St. Andrew's, and the church's congregation became smaller. In the early 1980s, it was discovered that the building needed a lot of money, about £150,000, to stay safe.
Because of this, a decision was made to join forces with another nearby church, Avenue Church. Both churches had become part of the United Reformed Church in 1972. After the merger, the old St. Andrew's building was taken down, and new offices were built there instead.
Avenue Congregational Church and the Merger
Avenue Congregational Church first opened its doors on December 7, 1898. When St. Andrew's and Avenue churches decided to combine their congregations, the church became known as Avenue St. Andrew's. This brought together the long histories of both churches into one new community.
