First Church of Christ, Scientist (Brighton) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids First Church of Christ, Scientist |
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The church from the west-northwest
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 Location in Brighton
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| 50°49′34″N 0°09′07″W / 50.8261°N 0.1519°W | |
| Location | 97 Montpelier Road, Montpelier, Brighton and Hove BN1 3BE |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Christian Science |
| Website | www.csbrighton.com |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1921 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Clayton & Black |
| Style | Regency/Neoclassical |
| Completed | 1921 |
The First Church of Christ, Scientist is a special church in the city of Brighton and Hove, England. It serves people who follow the Christian Science faith. The building you see today was once a large, important private house. It was changed and made bigger in 1921 by a well-known local architecture company called Clayton & Black.
A Look Back in Time
The Montpelier area was one of the first suburbs built in Brighton. It was developed between the 1820s and 1860s. This happened because Brighton was growing fast as a popular seaside town. Many houses were built in the 1840s and 1850s. Montpelier Road got many fancy Regency-style houses. These homes were covered in a smooth plaster called stucco. Number 97 Montpelier Road was built around 1850. It was located near a main shopping street called Western Road.
North Street was another important street. It had banks, offices, shops, and places for entertainment. In 1890, a building called the Athenaeum Recreation Hall was built there. It had several rooms and could hold 500 people. This hall became one of the first places where followers of Mary Baker Eddy's Christian Science movement met in Brighton.
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By the early 1900s, Christian Science services were held at the Athenaeum. The number of people attending grew quickly. In 1909, the church bought two houses at 97 and 97a Montpelier Road. These were used as a separate church and reading room. In 1921, the architects Clayton & Black were hired to turn these two houses back into one large church. They added a new chapel section to the south. They also made the entrance look grander in a Neoclassical style.
The church is part of the Montpelier & Clifton Hill Conservation Area. This is a special protected area in Brighton. It has many old and beautiful buildings that create a lovely street view.
What the Church Looks Like
The Clayton & Black company started in the 1870s. By 1921, they had designed many different types of buildings. For the Montpelier Road church, they added a fancy Neoclassical-style front to the house. The original house was a mix of Regency and Italianate styles. Some of its original features were kept.
The whole front of the church is covered in stucco. The entrance has special carved stone blocks around it, called rustication. This entrance is on the left side and has three sections, called bays. It is very detailed with arched and straight windows. There is also a decorative strip called a frieze and a "richly decorated pediment" above it.
To the right, the main part of the chapel has five sections. These sections are separated by tall, flat columns called pilasters. The windows on the ground floor are flat at the top. The windows above them are arched. Inside the church, there is a balcony or gallery. Wood panels are used around the area where the reader stands.
See also
