Providence Chapel, Hadlow Down facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Providence Chapel |
|
|---|---|
_(2).JPG)
The former chapel from the south
|
|
| 50°59′45″N 0°10′54″E / 50.9958°N 0.1816°E | |
| Location | Main Road, Hadlow Down, East Sussex TN22 4HJ |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Independent Calvinistic |
| History | |
| Status | Former chapel |
| Founded | 1824 |
| Founder(s) | Henry Smith |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Residential conversion |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 31 December 1982 |
| Style | Classical |
| Completed | 1849 |
| Closed | 1993 |
Providence Chapel used to be a special church building in the village of Hadlow Down. This village is in East Sussex, England. The chapel was built in 1849, but its story began even earlier in 1824. That's when an independent church group started meeting there.
This building was used for church services for almost 150 years. But then, a big storm damaged it. Because of the damage, it closed in 1993. Now, it has been turned into a private home. Even though the building is a house, its old graveyard is still there. Providence Chapel is a special old building, protected as a Grade II Listed building.
A Look Back: History of the Chapel
The village of Hadlow Down is on high ground in an area called the Sussex Weald. The first official Church of England building there was St Mark's Church, built in 1836.
However, the very first place of worship in the village was Providence Chapel. It was started 12 years earlier, in 1824. A local builder named Henry Smith built an independent chapel. This was for people called Nonconformists or Dissenters. These were Protestants who chose not to follow the main Church of England. Many of them were Baptists.
In 1849, the current building replaced the first one. A survey in 1851 showed that the chapel could hold 600 people. On a typical Sunday, about 300 adults and 350 to 450 children attended. The chapel was officially allowed to hold weddings starting in 1876. In 1882, it was known as a "Calvinistic Baptist" church.
The chapel continued to be used for worship until the late 1900s. But then, the terrible Great Storm of 1987 hit and caused serious damage. The chapel closed soon after this storm. By 1996, it had been changed into a house.
Providence Chapel was officially named a Grade II Listed building on December 31, 1982. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
What the Chapel Looks Like
Providence Chapel is a square building with two floors. It is made of red and grey-blue bricks. It has some classic design features, like a pediment and pilasters. A pediment is the triangular shape often seen above the front of old buildings. Pilasters are flat, decorative columns built into the wall.
The front of the building has three sections. On the ground floor, there are two sash windows. These windows were originally just decorative spaces. In the middle, there is a double doorway with a rounded fanlight above it. A fanlight is a window shaped like a fan.
Above the upper windows is the pediment. It has pilasters on each side. These are made of red brick with wide, grey stone blocks called quoins at the corners. The front wall is red brick. The side walls have alternating layers of red and shiny grey-blue bricks.
On the pediment, there is a round stone design. It says "PROVIDENCE CHAPEL," "1849," and "J.H. | M." The "J.H. | M." stands for "James Hallett, Minister." He was the minister when the chapel first opened in 1849.
See also
