Holland Road Baptist Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Holland Road Baptist Church
The church from the southwest
50°49′38″N 0°09′41″W / 50.8271°N 0.1614°W / 50.8271; -0.1614
Location	71 Holland Road, Hove, Brighton and Hove BN3 1JN
Country	England
Denomination	Baptist
Website	www.hrbc.org.uk/
History
Status	Church
Founded	1882
Founder(s)	George Congreve
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II listed
Designated	26 February 1991
Architect(s)	John Wills
Style	Transitional Gothic Revival
Groundbreaking	1887
Completed	29 July 1887
Specifications
Capacity	790
Materials	Purbeck Stone
Administration
District	South Eastern Baptist Association

Holland Road Baptist Church is a special church for Baptists in Hove, a town that's part of the city of Brighton and Hove in England. It was built in 1887. Before this big church, people met in a temporary building, and even before that, they met in a nearby gym! The church grew over time and is now a well-known building on Holland Road. It's one of ten Baptist churches in the city, and it's the only one that's been officially recognized for its important architecture.

History of the Church

How the Land Was Developed

The area where the church stands was once part of a large piece of land called the Wick estate. In 1830, a wealthy banker named Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid bought most of this land. It was a big area of farms, fields, and woods.

Holland Road, where the church is located, was named after Henry Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland (Lord Holland). He was an important politician and a friend of Isaac Lyon Goldsmid. The road was planned early on, but it took a while for buildings to appear. By the 1860s, the road was complete, stretching from the seafront to the old Hove train station.

Starting the Baptist Community

A group of Baptist believers started meeting in the 1870s. At first, they held their services in a gym on Western Road. In 1881, a man named George Congreve moved to Hove. He was a doctor who became rich by selling a special medicine. He also felt called to start a new church.

Between 1882 and 1883, George Congreve bought the land for the church from Sir Julian Goldsmid, who owned it then. In 1882, Congreve started a Young Women's Christian Institute, and a temporary iron building was put up on the site for it.

Building the Permanent Church

John Wills, an architect who designed many buildings for non-Anglican Christian groups, was asked to design the permanent church. George Congreve paid for the entire cost of building the church and became its first treasurer.

Construction happened in 1887, and the first service was held on July 29, 1887. A famous Baptist preacher named Charles Spurgeon was invited, but he was too sick to come. However, he helped by sending his brother to preach and by choosing the church's first pastor. One of Spurgeon's sons later became a pastor there too. The first pastor, Rev. David Davies, served from 1887 to 1907.

Church Growth and Changes

The temporary iron building was moved so the new church could be built. The Young Women's Christian Institute moved into a new building next to the church. Later, a similar group for men was started in 1899, but neither of these groups exists today.

The church also helped start two other Baptist churches in Hove. In 1901, a mission church in west Hove became connected with Holland Road Baptist Church. By 1904, it had its own building. Another church was started in 1957 in the growing Hangleton area. It is now called the Oasis Christian Fellowship Church.

In the 1970s, the church hall was updated. More changes and cleaning happened on the outside of the church in the early 1980s. Plans to work on the inside of the church were made for many years. When the plans were approved in 1997, they found that the building was in worse shape than expected. The hall was completely redesigned, an extension was added, and other parts of the church were changed. This big project cost about £700,000 and was finished in 1999.

The church also bought back the old Young Women's Christian Institute building in the 1990s. It was in poor condition, but after being checked, it was found to be better than thought and was completely fixed up.

The church is officially registered for worship and for weddings.

Architecture of the Church

Building Style and Materials

John Wills designed the church in a style called Transitional Gothic. This style was often used for Church of England buildings in the 1800s, but it was unusual for a non-Anglican church at that time. The outside of the church is made of light-colored Purbeck Stone, and the roof is covered with slate tiles.

The church tower is a local landmark. It sticks out a bit from the rest of the building and has four levels. It is topped with a pointed roof that looks like a style from the Rhineland area.

Inside the Church

The inside of the church runs from north to south, parallel to the road. The main entrance door is at the bottom of the tower. It has granite memorial plaques from 1887 on either side. This door leads into the transept, which is a part of the church that crosses the main area. It is lit by tall, narrow windows called lancet windows, which have colored glass.

Above, you can see a special kind of roof called a hammerbeam roof. A balcony, or gallery, goes around three sides of the church. It is held up by Corinthian columns made of cast iron. There are round windows called rose windows in the south and north walls. The north window has a special four-leaf clover design called a quatrefoil and is decorated in the Arts and Crafts style. The original wooden benches (pews) and a fancy pulpit (where the pastor preaches) are still inside the church.

The Church Today

Holland Road Baptist Church was officially recognized as a Grade II listed building by English Heritage on February 26, 1991. This means it's an important historic building that needs to be protected. It is one of many listed buildings in Brighton and Hove.

The church holds services on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and Tuesday afternoons. Some of these services include Holy Communion. There are also regular prayer groups and activities for children and young people. The church also welcomes other Christian groups, like the Brighton Lutheran Mission.

Holland Road Baptist Church is one of eleven Baptist communities in the city of Brighton and Hove. Most of these have their own church buildings. Many of them are part of a larger group called the Mid Sussex Network of the South Eastern Baptist Association.

See also

• Grade II listed buildings in Brighton and Hove: E–H
• List of places of worship in Brighton and Hove