St Anthony's Church, Scotland Road facts for kids
St Anthony's Roman Catholic Church is a special old church located on Scotland Road in the Vauxhall area of Liverpool. It's considered a very important building and is officially listed as a Grade II listed building in England. This means it's protected because of its historical or architectural value.
Contents
History of St Anthony's Church
Early Beginnings
The story of St Anthony's Church began in 1804. A smaller church, called the French Chapel, was built then. It was located on the corner of Dryden Street and Scotland Road. This chapel was started by Reverend Jean Baptiste Antoine Gerardot. He was a French person who came to England because of the French Revolution in 1789.
During the Napoleonic Wars, which happened around that time, an interesting fact is that French prisoners of war sometimes attended this church. They would come under supervision from a nearby jail. Reverend Gerardot was very successful in his work. By the late 1820s, the community had grown so much that a bigger church was needed.
Building the New Church
The famous St Anthony's Church on Scotland Road was built in 1833. It was designed by an architect named John Broadbent. He learned from a well-known architect, Thomas Rickman. Broadbent designed St Anthony's to be a simple but strong-looking church. It had features like buttresses and lancet windows, which are common in early English church styles.
Even though it looked simple from the outside, the inside was surprisingly large. The church stands out on Scotland Road because of its size and impressive design. People at the time noted how grand it looked.
Fire and Restoration
In April 2008, a fire broke out inside St Anthony's Church. It is believed the fire started when a large candle, left burning overnight, bent over and fell. Even though the fire caused a lot of damage, the church survived.
Restoring the church was a huge and difficult task. However, the community worked hard to fix it. The church was able to reopen on July 13, 2008. A morning mass was held by the parish priest, Father Graeme Dunne, to celebrate its reopening.
Community Gatherings
St Anthony's Church has also been a place for community events. For example, in November 2007, the church's crypt (an underground room) hosted a community gathering. Another similar event took place there in September 2008. These events help bring people together in the local area.
See also
- Grade II listed buildings in Liverpool-L5
