King's Weigh House facts for kids
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The King's Weigh House was the name of a special Congregational church congregation in London. Today, its beautiful old church building in Mayfair is now the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile.
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History of the Church
A building called the "King's Weyhows" was first mentioned way back in 1460. It was a place where goods were weighed for customs.
The church congregation started around 1695. Thomas Reynolds became their first minister. In 1697, the church built its meeting house right above the King's weigh house in Little Eastcheap. This is how the church got its unique name. The King's Weigh House was where traders from other countries had to weigh their goods. This helped the government figure out how much tax they needed to pay. The original weigh house was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London.
Many ministers led the church over the years. Thomas Binney, who served from 1829 to 1869, was one of the most famous. During his time, the church's original location was needed for new roads near London Bridge. So, in 1833-1834, a brand new building was built on Fish Street Hill. It was designed by William Tate and could seat 1000 people!
Important members during this time included Samuel Morley and George Williams. George Williams actually founded the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) in 1844.
Later, in 1882, the church's Fish Street Hill site was bought by the Metropolitan Railway. Many church members had moved to the suburbs by then. So, there was less need for the church to stay in the busy City of London. The Duke of Westminster offered them a new spot in Mayfair. This new location was accepted. In 1891, a grand new building on Duke Street was opened. It was designed by the famous architect Alfred Waterhouse.
The new church was built with red bricks and buff-colored terracotta. It had a special oval-shaped main hall and a tower in the southwest corner. The style was similar to old Romanesque buildings. It cost about £26,495 to build.
In 1917, something very special happened. Claud and Constance Coltman were made assistant ministers. Constance Coltman was a member of the church before her training. She became one of the first women to be ordained as a minister in a major English church group.
The church faced tough times in the years that followed. On October 20, 1940, a bomb fell on the church during a service. This happened during World War II. The minister's wife was sadly killed, and another person was hurt. The building was then used as a fire-watching and rest center during the war.
In 1945, 22 members decided to bring the church back to life. After repairs from the war damage, the building was reopened in 1953.
In 1962, the church decided to join with another church. After friendly talks with Whitefield Memorial Church, services at the Weigh House ended in July 1965.
In March 1966, the church officially closed down. The building was then sold. In 1967, the Ukrainian Catholic community bought it. Today, it is known as the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile. The beautiful building designed by Waterhouse was given a special historic status in 1970.
Architectural History
Eastcheap Building
51°30′38″N 0°05′03″W / 51.510519°N 0.084165°W The spot where the first church stood at 16 Eastcheap is now occupied by Citibank. A special plaque on the front of the building remembers the church that used to be there.
Fish Street Hill Building
51°30′35″N 0°05′10″W / 51.509777°N 0.086222°W This was the church's home from 1834 to 1888. The railway company bought the building. Today, this location is an exit for the Monument Underground station.
Binney Street Building
51°30′48″N 0°09′02″W / 51.51343°N 0.150657°W
This is the building that is now the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile.
See also
