St Andrew's Church, Plaistow facts for kids
St Andrew's Church was once a special building for the Church of England in Plaistow, east London. It started small but grew into a big church. Today, it's no longer used as a church. Instead, it holds offices and a community centre.
Contents
St Andrew's Church: A Look Back
St Andrew's Church has a long and interesting history. It began over 160 years ago. The building has seen many changes over time. It even survived a major war.
How St Andrew's Church Started
The church began as a small "mission" in 1860. A mission is like a mini-church or a place where people from a main church help the local community. This first small building was on Whitwell Road. It was set up by St Mary's Church, Plaistow, which was a bigger, older church nearby.
Later, a famous architect named James Brooks designed a new, bigger church. This new building opened in 1870. It was built on a spot near a large drain system called the northern outfall sewer embankment. The next year, in 1871, St Andrew's got its own "parish." A parish is like a special area that a church is responsible for.
The original plan for the church was very grand. It was supposed to have a tall central tower. This tower would have a pointy roof, called a pyramidal spire. However, the tower was never fully finished. It only reached the same height as the main roof of the church.
Important Connections and Changes
St Andrew's Church helped to start other churches too. In 1903, it opened a new mission hall. This hall later became St Cedd's Church, Canning Town. The area for this new church was created from parts of St Andrew's parish and another nearby church, St Luke's.
During World War II, London was heavily bombed. This time was known as the London Blitz. St Andrew's Church was badly damaged by these bombings. But after the war ended in 1945, the church was carefully repaired. It was made strong again.
What Happened to the Church Building?
In 1984, the church building was given a special status. It was listed as a Grade II building. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
Even though it was repaired, St Andrew's Church is no longer an Anglican church. The Anglican Church is another name for the Church of England. Today, the building is used for other things. It houses offices and a community centre run by the UCKG Help Centre. Part of the church, called the chancel, has been walled off. The chancel is usually the area near the altar where the clergy sit.
The original parish of St Andrew's is now part of a larger church group. This group is called the Parish of the Divine Compassion. In 2006, the people who used to go to St Andrew's Church joined with another church. They merged with the Memorial Baptist Church. Together, they formed a new group called the Memorial Community Church.
