Lewin's Mead Unitarian meeting house facts for kids
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The Lewin's Mead Unitarian meeting house is an old building in Bristol, England. It used to be a church for a group called Unitarians. Today, it has a new purpose, but its history is still very interesting!
The Building's History
This special building, called a meeting house, was built between 1788 and 1791. It stands in an area of Bristol called Lewin's Mead. Before this meeting house, there was a chapel on the same spot from 1705. Even before that, the land was home to a Franciscan monastery, which is a place where monks lived and worked.
The meeting house was designed in a grand style called Neoclassical. This style often looks like ancient Greek or Roman buildings, with tall columns and balanced shapes. The architect who designed it was William Blackburn. It was built to hold about 400 people, and it even had stables and a coach-house for horses and carriages. Later, in 1818, a lecture room was added, and in 1826, schoolrooms were built.
Since 1959, the building has been a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historical building that needs to be protected. In 1987, it was changed into offices by Feilden Clegg architects. A company called Provelio, which helps with construction projects, had its offices there.
In January 2017, a group of Church of England churches called Emmanuel Bristol bought the building. They now use it for their city centre church meetings.
Who Met There?
In the 1700s, the people who attended this Unitarian meeting house were often quite wealthy.
One important leader, called a minister, was Lant Carpenter. He served the church from 1817 to 1839. Lant Carpenter was also the father of Mary Carpenter, who became a famous social reformer. A social reformer is someone who works to make society better and fairer for everyone.
Even though the Lewin's Mead building is no longer a Unitarian church, Unitarians still meet in Bristol. They have other places of worship, like Frenchay Chapel and Brunswick Square.
More to Explore
- Grade II* listed buildings in Bristol
