Jezreel's tower facts for kids
Jezreel's Tower, also known as Jezreel's Temple, was a large, unusual building in Gillingham, Kent, in England. It was designed in the 1880s to be the headquarters for a religious group. The tower was never finished and was eventually knocked down in 1961, but its story is a fascinating part of local history.
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The Founder, James Jezreel
The story of the tower begins with a man named James Roland White, who was born in 1840. In 1875, he joined the British Army and was stationed in Chatham, Kent.
While in Chatham, White became interested in the ideas of Joanna Southcott, a woman who lived much earlier (1750–1814). Her followers believed she was a prophet. She left behind a sealed box of her writings, which she said held answers to the world's problems. After she died, other people continued her movement.
White joined a small group of Southcott's followers in Chatham. He soon became their leader and wrote a book that became known as the "Flying Roll." He changed his name to James Jershom Jezreel and told his followers that he was a special messenger from God.
A Grand Plan for a New Headquarters
After leaving the army in 1881, Jezreel decided to build a huge headquarters for his church, which he called the New and Latter House of Israel. He chose a spot at the top of Chatham Hill, the highest point in the area.
Jezreel wanted the building to be a perfect cube, based on a description from the Bible. He imagined a building where each side was 144 feet long (about 44 meters). His architects convinced him to change the plan slightly to make it more practical. The final design was for a building 124 feet (38 meters) on each side and 120 feet (37 meters) high.
Special Features of the Tower
The tower was designed to be very impressive and unique.
- It was built with steel, concrete, and yellow bricks.
- It had eight towers on its roof, making it look like a castle.
- Symbols of the group, like a trumpet, a flying roll, and crossed swords, were carved into the walls.
- A huge cellar was built underneath for storage, heating systems, and printing presses to make copies of the "Flying Roll."
The main part of the building was a giant circular assembly hall. It was designed to hold up to 5,000 people. In the center, a round platform could rise 30 feet (9 meters) into the air using water pressure. The choir and speakers would stand on this rising, rotating stage.
The room had no windows. The only light came from a massive glass dome in the roof, which was 94 feet (29 meters) across. The building was made from materials that would not burn. The followers, known as Jezreelites, believed this would keep them safe during the end of the world.
A Community for Followers
Jezreel also planned for his followers to live and work around the tower. He had already started a school, and he wanted to add shops to the new headquarters.
The Jezreelite community in the area grew. They ran many local businesses, including a bakery, a tea shop, a dairy, a jeweller's, a printer, and a smithy. This allowed them to support themselves while helping to fund the tower's construction.
Building the Tower
Construction was planned to be finished by January 1, 1885. However, James Jezreel became ill and died on March 2, 1885, at the age of 45. His followers believed he would soon be resurrected, so they did not mourn him. He was buried in an unmarked grave in a nearby cemetery.
After his death, his wife Clarissa took over the leadership of the group. She was known as Queen Esther. She made sure that the work on the tower continued, and the foundation stone was laid on September 19, 1885.
As building costs grew, Queen Esther had to save money. She decided that all followers would become vegetarian to lower food costs. However, some people became unhappy with her leadership, and the number of followers started to drop from a high of 1,400 to only about 160.
In July 1888, Queen Esther died suddenly at the age of 28. After her death, the group broke apart, and all work on the tower stopped forever.
The End of the Tower
The unfinished tower and its surrounding buildings were put up for sale in 1897 but didn't sell for several years. By 1905, the few remaining Jezreelites could no longer afford to rent parts of the building.
For decades, the huge, empty tower stood on the hill as a strange landmark. It slowly fell into ruin. Finally, between 1960 and 1961, the tower was completely demolished. The job took thirteen months.
Today, nothing of the tower remains. The site was later used for businesses, including a company known for making Jubilee Clips. Although the tower is gone, it is still remembered in the area. A bus stop and a road nearby, Jezreels Road, are named after it. The tower was also featured in paintings and on many postcards during its existence.
