Salem Chapel, Leeds facts for kids
Salem Chapel is a very old and important building in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It used to be a church for a group called Congregationalists. You can find it on Hunslet Lane, right across from where the Tetley's Brewery used to be.
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Contents
A Look Back in Time
Salem Chapel was built way back in 1791 by a minister named Edward Parsons. This makes it the oldest surviving non-conformist chapel in the center of Leeds. A non-conformist church is a Protestant church that is not part of the official Church of England.
This historic chapel is a Grade II listed building, which means it's a special building protected for its history and architecture. Its unique curved front was added in 1906.
Did you know that Leeds United Football Club was actually started here in 1919? The chapel's hall was used for a big public meeting. At this meeting, the old football team, Leeds City F.C., was closed down because of money problems. Right after that, Leeds United F.C. was formed!
The chapel stopped being used as a place of worship in 2001.
Salem Chapel Today
In 2009, a person named Professor Adam Beaumont bought the building. He is the founder of a telecommunications company called aql. Professor Beaumont paid for the chapel to be fixed up and restored.
Now, Salem Chapel is the main office for aql. It also has special rooms for computer data, a place for exhibitions, a bar, and a large auditorium with a glass floor that can seat 370 people!
On November 17, 2011, the Leeds Civic Trust gave Salem Chapel a special blue plaque. This plaque shows that the building is important for its architecture and its religious history. The Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Rev’d Alan Taylor, helped to reveal the plaque.
Since April 2018, Salem Chapel has also been home to the Estonian Consulate for the North of England and the Isle of Man. A consulate is like a small embassy that helps people from a certain country who are living or traveling abroad.
The Auditorium
The auditorium at Salem Chapel is often used for important events, especially by the government.
Government Meetings
In February 2015, the then-Prime Minister David Cameron and the then-Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne held talks here. They were discussing the government's Northern Powerhouse plan, which aims to improve the economy in the North of England.
Mr. Osborne returned to Salem Chapel in February 2017 with Lord Jim O'Neill. They launched the first report for the Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP). In January 2018, the chapel was used to launch Transport for the North's plan to improve transportation in the North of England over the next 30 years.
Other Important Visitors
Besides politicians, many other interesting people have visited Salem Chapel's auditorium for events and talks. These include Britain's first astronaut, Helen Sharman OBE, and Bas Lansdorp, who is the CEO and co-founder of Mars One. They spoke here as part of the Leeds International Festival in 2018.
Other notable visitors include Tiina Intelmann, the Estonian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and Matt Hancock, who was the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
The launch of a book called Leeds: Cradle of Innovation happened at Salem Chapel on June 14, 2018. This book is about the history of new ideas and inventions in the city.
Salem Chapel is also one of the places used for the Leeds Digital Festival and the Leeds International Festival.
Images for kids
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Leeds Civic Trust blue plaque, Salem Chapel, Leeds
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Salem Chapel, Leeds
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Door, Salem Chapel, Leeds
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See also
- Architecture of Leeds
- List of places of worship in the City of Leeds
