Maiden Street Methodist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maiden Street Methodist Church |
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The ruined church in 2008.
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Methodist |
| Location | |
| Location | Weymouth, Dorset, England |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Foster and Wood |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Lombard |
| Completed | 1867 |
Maiden Street Methodist Church was once a beautiful church in Weymouth, Dorset, England. It was built a long time ago, between 1866 and 1867. Sadly, a big fire in 2002 badly damaged the church, leaving it as a ruin. Because of the fire, a new church called the Weymouth Bay Methodist Church was built nearby and opened in 2009. Even though it's a ruin, the old Maiden Street church is still important and is a special protected building.
The Church's Story
The Maiden Street Methodist Church was built on a spot where an old inn used to be. The first stone for the church was laid on June 28, 1866. It was built by Stephen Brown of Weymouth. The church was designed by Foster and Wood from Bristol. It cost about £3,700 to build, which was a lot of money back then!
The church officially opened its doors on December 12, 1867. It was a very large church, able to seat about 1,000 people. Over the years, the church was updated. In 1955, some changes were made inside. Later, in 1998-1999, a big restoration project costing £160,000 was completed.
The 2002 Fire and What Happened Next
In January 2002, a terrible fire broke out at the church. The fire left the building as an empty shell with no roof. No one ever found out what caused the fire. Because it would have been too expensive to fix the old church, the local Methodist group decided to build a brand new one. This new church, the Weymouth Bay Methodist Church, was finished in 2009.
After the fire, the inside of the ruined church was cleared out. Local officials and engineers worked together to make sure the remaining walls were safe. Scaffolding was put inside to help support the church's shell.
In 2004, the church was added to a special list called the "Heritage at Risk Register." This list helps keep track of important buildings that are in danger. The church was put up for sale in 2006. A company bought it and planned to fix part of the church and build new homes inside. They wanted a restaurant on the ground floor and fifteen apartments above. However, no work ever started. Even though they got more time to begin the project in 2010, the building remained untouched.
The church was sold again in 2016. In 2019, new plans were approved. These plans included rebuilding the front of the church and preserving the ruins. A new building would be constructed inside to hold 25 apartments. The old minister's house next door was also going to be fixed up. But again, work did not start. The church was put up for sale once more in 2020.
Church Design and Features
The Maiden Street Methodist Church was built using red bricks. It had special decorative parts made from Portland stone. The church also had large round windows, called rose windows, on each end. The original plan was to add a tall tower and spire on one corner, but this was never built.
The building had two main levels: the main church area and a basement. The main entrance had a fancy covered porch with columns made of Portland and Bath stone. This entrance led to a lobby. From the lobby, stairs went up to a gallery area on each side. Doors also led into the main part of the church.
Inside the church, there was a main aisle in the middle and smaller aisles on the sides. The space around the altar had special rooms for the minister and the choir. The organ was located at the back of the gallery. The original pulpit and communion area were made of wood. The font, used for baptisms, was made from Portland stone with polished stone columns.
The basement level of the church was designed to be very useful. It included four classrooms and a large Sunday school room. This big room was also used for meetings and other community events.
